THE 


Catholic  Church 


UTAH 


1776  —  1909 


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Digitized  by  the  Internet  Archive 

in  2007  with  funding  from 

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Isstied  Under 

the 

Auspices    of   the 

Knights   of   Columbus 

State  of  Utah 


Cathedral,  Salt  Lake  City. 


The  Gatholic  Church  in  Utah 


INCLUDING 


AN  EXPOSITION  OF 

CATHOLIC  FAITH 


BY 


BISHOP  SGANLAN 

A  review  of  Spanish  and  Missionary  Explorations. 
Tribal  Divisions,  names  and  regional  habitats  of 
the  pre-European  Tribes.  The  Journal  of  the 
Franciscan  Explorers  and  discoverers  of  Utah 
Lake.  The  trailing  of  the  Priests  from  Santa  Fe, 
N.  M.,  with  Map  of  Route,  Illustrations  and  delimi- 
tations of  the  Great  Basin. 

BY  \ 

VERY  REVEREND  Wl  R.  HARRIS,  D.  D.,  LLD.  » ?<T| - 

AUTHOR  OF 


Early  Missions  of  Western  Canada,  Days  and  Nights  in  the 
Tropics,  Tribes  of  the  Dominion,  Etc. 


PUBLISHED  BY 

INTERMOUNTAIN  CATHOLIC  PRESS 

SALT  LAKE  CITY,  UTAH 


COPYRIGHT,  1909; 

INTERMOUNTAIN  CATHOLIC  PRESS 
SALT  LAKE  CITY.  UTAH 


moo 
Bancroft  Library 


"Gather  up  the  fragments  that  remain,  lest  they  be  lost." 

(John.  VI-12.) 

"Gather  up  the  letters  of  the  past,  gather  up  the  traditions, 
gather  up  the  pamphlets,  gather  up  the  records  that  are  so  essential 
for  the  fulness  of  our  Gatholic  history,  for  surely  our  Gatholic  people 
have  no  reason  to  be  ashamed  but  every  reason  to  be  proud  of  their 
glorious  traditions." 

Governor  John  Lee  of  Maryland,  to  the  Gatholic. 

Historical  Society,  Philadelphia,  March,  1894. 


TO 

RIGHT  REVEREND  LAWRENCE  SCANLAN,  D.  D. 

Bishop  of  Salt  Lake 

Assistant  at  the  Pontifical  Throne,  Etc. 

This  History  of  his  Diocese  is  gratefully  and  affectionately 

inscribed  by  The  Author. 


CONTENTS. 

INTRODUCTORY  DISCOURSE. 

BY  RT.   REVEREND   BISHOP   SCANLAN,  D.   D. 

Doctrines  Held  by  Catholics — Essential  Articles  of  Christian  Belief — One  Reve- 
lation, One  True  Religion — Opinions  of  DeMaistre  and  James  Anthony 
Froude — The  Catholic  Church  a  Perfect  Society — Peter,  Its  Visible  Head — 
The  Deposit  of  Faith — Infallibility — Importance  of  Tradition — The  Church 
and  Tradition — Confession  of  Sins — Penance  a  Divine  Institution — Doc- 
trine of  Indulgence — The  Sacrifice  of  the  Mass — The  Blessed  Eucharist — 
What  of  Our  Dead? — The  Blessed  Virgin — An  Unmarried  Priesthood. — 
Page  I. 

PRELIMINARY  CHAPTER. 

Religious  Orders  of  the  Catholic  Church — Opinions  of  Protestant  Historians — 
Explorations  of  the  Missionaries — Dangers  Which  Encompassed  Them — 
Trials  and  Tribulations — Left  Eloquent  Memorials — Parkman's  Acknowl- 
edgement— Achievements  of  Jesuit  and  Franciscan  Missionaries — Their 
Heroism — Their  Writings  and  Result  of  Their  Study  of  the  Native  Tribes. 
—Page  30. 

CHAPTER  I.— MARCOS  DE  NIZZA. 

Area  of  Salt  Lake  Diocese — Tribes  of  Arizona  and  New  Mexico — The  Moqui 
"Cliff  People" — The  Priest  Marcos  de  Nizza — Companion  of  Pizarro — His 
Wonderful  Career — On  the  way  to  the  Zuni  Villages — De  Nizza's  Tramp 
through  Northern  Mexico — His  Plunge  Into  Arizona  in  1539 — Death  of  the 
Negro  Estavan — View  of  Cibola — Return  and  Death  of  the  Priest. — Page  39. 

CHAPTER  II.— THE  EXPLORER  AND  THE  MISSIONARY. 

March  of  Coronado  for  the  Cibola — His  Companions — Death  of  the  Priest  Juan 
de  la  Cruz — Of  Brother  Luis  Descalano — Father  Padilla  and  Pedro  de 
Tobar  Visit  the  Moquis — March  of  Coronado  and  Padilla  Through  Okla- 
homa and  Indian  Territory  in  1541 — Enter  Kansas — Crossing  the  Arkansas 
— Return  of  Coronado — Padilla's  Journey  to  the  Teton  Sioux — Starts  for 
Lands  of  the  Pawnees — Is  Murdered — Body  Never  Recovered — Mota-Pa- 
dilla's  Account. — Page  45. 

CHAPTER  III— EARLY  EXPEDITIONS  OF  THE  SPANIARDS. 

The  Ruis  Expedition  of  1581 — Flight  of  the  Soldiers — Murder  of  the  Priest 
Santa  Maria — Death  of  Father  Lopez — Espajo  to  the  Rescue — Arrives  in 
the  Villages  of  the  Teguans — Return  of  the  Party — Onate  Organizes  His 
Expedition  for  Zuni  by  the  Rio  Grande — Building  of  First  Church  in  New 
Mexico — Exploring  the  Colorado — Founding  of  Santa  Fe  in  1606 — Opening 
of  Missions  Among  the  Zunis — Building  of  Churches. — Page  50. 


11  CONTENTS 

CHAPTER  IV.— MASSACRE  OF  THE  SPANIARDS  AND  SLAUGHTER 

OF  THE  PRIESTS. 

Number  of  Churches  in  1649 — The  Zuni  Conspiracy — Revolt  of  the  Tribes  and 
Massacre  of  the  Spaniards— Slaughter  of  the  Priests — Capture  of  Santa  Fe 
— The  "Forlorn  Hope" — Desperate  Charge  of  the  Spaniards — Stampede  of 
the  Indians — On  to  El  Paso — Return  of  Onate  to  Santa  Fe — Submission 
of  the  Tribes — Reconquest  of  New  Mexico — Population — Human  Sacrifice 
— Exploring  the  Colorado. — Page  55. 

CHAPTER  V.— THE  AMERICAN  INDIAN. 
Failure  to  Account  for  American  Indian — Distribution  of  the  Tribes — Linguistic 
Stocks  and  Tribal  Affinities — Indians  of  the  St.  Lawrence  Regions  of  the 
Canadian  Northwest — Tribes  East  and  West  of  the  Missouri — Sedentary 
Tribes — The  Hunters  and  Rovers — Prohibition  of  Intermarriage  in  the  Clan 
— Religion   of  the   Aborigines — Indian    Population   in    1612. — Page   61. 

CHAPTER    VI.— DEBASEMENT    OF   THE   TRIBES. 
Moral   Debasement  of  the  Tribes — The  Man  of  Nature — Inhuman  Hardheart 
edness — Without   Religion,   Without  Morality — No   Word   for   Virtue,   Re- 
ligion, Charity — Degradation  of  Women — Her  Position  in  the  Camp — Sav- 
ages' Contempt  for  the  Sanctity  of  Life — Treatment  of  Prisoners — Human 
Flesh  Eaters — Phantom  Gods. — Page  67. 

CHAPTER  VII.— TRAITS  OF  INDIAN  CHARACTER. 
Some  Redeeming  Features — Tribal  Hospitality  and  Generosity — Ferocity  to  An 
Enemy — Appalling  Cruelty— Frightful  Torture  of  a  Foe— Spartan  Stoicism 
— Rousseau's  "Ideal  Man" — Chateaubriand's  Declaration — Final  Submission. 
— Page  72. 

CHAPTER  VIII.— HEROISM  OF  FRENCH  AND  SPANISH  MISSION- 
ARIES. 

Missionary  Map  of  North  America — Jesuits  East  of  Mississippi — Their  Won- 
derful Success — The  Canadian  Tribes — With  the  Wandering  Hordes — 
Jesuit  Martyrs — The  Franciscans — Martyrs  of  the  Order — Plunge  of  Fran- 
ciscans Into  the  Desert — Testimony  of  Historians — Glory  of  Confessors, 
Saints   and   Martyrs. — Page  76. 

CHAPTER  IX.— THE  FRANCISCANS. 
The  Religious  Orders — Pronouncement  of  Pius  IX — Origin  of  Name  Francis- 
can— Distinguished  Men  of  the  Order— As  Missionaries— Francis  of  Assisi — 
His  Conversion — Journey  to  Rome — Interview  With  the  Pope — Selecting 
the  Twelve— Renouncing  the  World— Their  Mission  to  the  Poor — Love  for 
Poverty — Brothers  of  the  Lepers — Apparitions  on  the  Streets  of  Naples. — 
Page  82. 

CHAPTER  X.— SONS  OF  ST.  FRANCIS. 

Their  First  Official  Meeting— Expansion  of  the  Order— Its  Influence  in  the  Dis- 
covery of  America — Francis  of  Calabria  and  the  Queen — Founding  of  City 
of  San  Domingo,  Hayti — Pioneers  of  the  Faith  in  America — Friends  of  the 
Indian — Denouncing  the  Slave  Trade — Conversion  of  the  Tribes — Marvel- 
ous Success  of  the  Franciscans — Authorities  Cited — Diego  Landa — Mis- 
sionaries and  Explorers. — Page  88. 


CONTENTS  111 

CHAPTER  XL— VELEZ  ESCALANTE. 

His  Arrival  in  Mexico — Assignment  to  Zuni-Land — Visits  the  Moquis — Writes 
to  Father  Garces — Garces'  Extraordinary  Career — His  Explorations  in  Ari- 
zona and  California — First  White  Man  to  Cross  Grand  Canyon  of  the 
Colorado — Opens  the  Oldest  of  the  "Spanish  Trails" — Escalante  Attempts 
Crossing  of  the  Canyon — His  Letter  on  the  Moquis — Return  to  the  Zunis — 
Called  to  Santa  Fe — Codifys  New  Mexican  Archives — Apache  Cruelty — 
Escalante's    Retirement    and    Death. — Page   94. 

CHAPTER  XII.— THE  "GREAT  BASIN." 
Why  the  Franciscans  Did  Not  Enter  the  Basin — Area  of  the  Basin — Its  Pri- 
mordial State — Its  Deserts  and  Mountains — Frightful  Solitude  Awed  Deso- 
lation— The  Wasatch  Range — "Tierra  de  los  Padres" — Animal  Life  of  Great 
Basin — Junipero  Serra  Enters  at  the  South — Tribes  Within  the  Basin — 
Franciscans  begin  to  Civilize  Them — Seeking  a  Trans-territorial  Route. — 
Page  100. 

CHAPTER  XIIL— THE  UTE  INDIANS. 
Habits,  Mode  of  Life  and  Manners  of  Tribe — First  Mention  of  Utes — Raids 
of  the  Utes — Attack  Viceregal  Quarters — Territory  Claimed  by  Utes — The 
"Bendito." — Salutation  Among  Pueblo  Indians — Ute  Cabins — Their  Food 
and  Dress — Status  of  Woman  in  the  Tribe — Her  Degradation — Methods 
of  Cooking  Food — The  Ute  Warrior — Before  the  Fight  and  After — Habits 
of  the  Tribe — Village  Life — Absence  of  All  Morality. — Page  106. 

CHAPTER  XIV— THE  UTES  AND  THE  "SORCERERS." 
Frightful  Contempt  for  Moral  Law — Religion  of  Utes — A  Tissue  of  Absurd 
Superstitions — Belief  in  Immortality  of  Animals — In  Bows,  Arrows  and 
War  Clubs — The  Wah-Kon — The  Autmoin  or  Priest-Doctor — His  Exor- 
cisms— The  Treatment  of  the  Sick — The  Feast  of  the  Dead — The  "Sor- 
cerers" of  Salt  Lake — Their  Origin — The  Jacarilla-Apache — Simpson's  Ex- 
perience With  the  Group — Their  Filthy  Habits — Their  Food — Human  Flesh 
Eaters — Mourning  Customs  of  the  Women — End  of  the  Fighting  Tribes. 
—Page  113. 


PREFACE. 

The  title  of  this  volume  sufficiently  indicates  its  charac- 
ter and  its  purport.  This  work,  in  all  probability,  would  not 
have  been  written  in  our  time  if  conditions  and  circumstances 
did  not  make  for  its  production.  The  people  at  large  in  our 
southwestern  regions  know  nothing  of  the  visit  of  the  Span- 
ish priests  to  Utah  Lake;  even  learned  men,  until  now,  have 
thought  that  Bonneville  or  Bridger  first  made  known  to  the 
outside  world  the  existence  of  our  inland  salt  sea. 

Though  referred  to  by  scholars  and  historians,  and  muti- 
lated excerpts  printed  by  Simpson  in  his  Report,  written  in 
1859,  very  few  readers  were  aware  of  the  existence  of  the 
Journal  of  the  Franciscan  priests  who  entered  our  imme- 
diate neighborhood  one  hundred  and  thirty-four  years  ago 
and  preached  Christianity  to  the  Ute  Indians. 

Though  drawn  upon  liberally  by  Bancroft  in  his  "  His- 
tory of  Utah,"  and  attention  courteously  attracted  to  it  by 
Elliott  Coues  in  "On  the  Trail  of  a  Spanish  Pioneer,"  the 
"Diario"  or  Journal  of  Fathers  Dominguez  and  de  Esca- 
lante  is  altogether  unknown  in  our  country,  and  is  now,  for 
the  first  time  we  believe,  translated  and  given  to  the  public 
in  this  history.  If  the  Journal  presents  us  with  no  fact  of 
importance,  apart  from  the  discovery  of  Utah  Lake  and  the 
existence  of  the  Great  Salt  Lake,  it  has  nevertheless  a  merit 
peculiarly  its  own. 

The  description  which  it  gives  of  the  country  and  of  its 
geographic  position,  the  information  we  receive  on  climatic 
conditions  then  obtaining,  on  the  habits,  customs  and  man- 
ners of  the  tribes,  and  particularly  the  knowledge  we  obtain 
of  the  topographical  features  of  our  region  in  those  early 
days,  remain  as  memorial  tablets  of  our  early  history  which 
we  love  to  trace  back  to  its  primitive  source.  Nor  was  it 
known,   even  to  the  select  few,  that  the  great  missionary 


11  PREFACE 

and  explorer,  Father  De  Smet,  passed  through  Salt  Lake 
Valley  in  1841,  and  five  years  afterwards  met  the  Mormon 
prophet,  Brigham  Young,  and  unfolded  before  the  eyes  of 
the  Mormon  leader  a  panorama  of  the  Valley  of  the  Great 
Salt  Lake. 

Again,  we  were  affectionately  moved  to  enter  upon  the 
preparation  of  this  history  while  the  pioneer  and  practically 
the  founder  of  Catholicism  in  Utah  and  Nevada  was  yet  liv- 
ing and  moving  among  us  as  a  friend.  Bishop  Scanlan 
knows  more  of  the  history  of  the  Catholic  Church  in  Utah 
and  Nevada  than  any  living  man.  To  him  we  went  for  in- 
formation, or  when  in  doubt,  upon  any  item  bearing  upon 
pioneer  times.  For  his  courtesy  to  us  and  his  forbearance 
when  we  often  put  a  severe  tax  upon  his  time  and  patience  it 
is  idle  to  add  anything  here. 

The  closing  chapter  of  this  history,  entitled  "Sketch  of 
the  Life  of  Bishop  Scanlan,"  is  written  and  published  with- 
out consulting  his  Lordship.  He  knows  nothing  of  it,  and 
will  not,  till  the  title  confronts  him  in  this  work.  We  would 
like  to  have  interviewed  him  for  the  chapter,  but  we  had  a 
presentiment  that  our  reception  might  be  an  exception  to 
the  habitually  gracious  and  friendly  greeting  with  which  he 
received  us  at  all  times  and  on  all  other  matters. 

The  expectation  of  presenting  the  Bishop  with  a  copy 
of  the  history  of  his  diocese,  the  morning  his  great  Cathedral 
is  consecrated,  has  unduly  hurried  us  and  must  serve  as  our 
apology  for  any  errors  which  may  have  escaped  our  notice 
and  for  the  defects  of  style  and  composition  too  painfully 
prominent  on  the  face  of  the  work  and  in  our  translation  of 
the  Spanish  Journal. 

The  author  begs  to  acknowledge  his  indebtedness  to  Mr. 
Fredrick  W.  Scofield,  consulting  engineer,  for  his  generous 
aid  in  preparing  the  chapter  which  covers  the  itinerary  of 
the  Franciscan  priests  and  the  tracing  of  their  route  on 
the  Escalante  map. 

To  George  W.  Keel,  Esq.,  of  Mexico  City,  who,  at  con- 
siderable inconvenience  to  himself,    obtained    the    Spanish 


PREFACE  ili 

transcript  of  Fray  Escalante's  "Diario,"  and  for  his  cour- 
tesy in   searching,   for  this   history,    material    among     the 
archives  of  the  Mexican  National  Library,  the  author  begs 
to  express  the  assurance  of  his  appreciation. 
Salt  Lake  City,  January  29,  1909. 


BOOK  I 

Pioneers  of  the  Faith 


INTRODUCTORY   DISCOURSE. 

by  right  reverend  l.  scanlan,  d.  d.,  bishop  op  salt  lake,  on 
"the  paith  of  catholics.  " 

Doctrines  Held  by  Catholics — Essential  Articles  of  Christian 
Belief — One  Revelation,  One  True  Religion — Opinions  of 
DeMaistre  and  James  Anthony  Froude — The  Catholic 
Church  a  Perfect  Society — Peter  Its  Visible  Head — The 
Deposit  of  Faith — Infallibility — Importance  of  Tradition 
— The  Church  and  Tradition— Confession  of  Sins — Pen- 
ance a  Divine  Institution — Doctrine  of  Indulgence — The 
Sacrifice  of  the  Mass — The  Blessed  Eucharist — What  of 
Our  Dead? — The  Blessed  Virgin — An  Unmarried  Priest- 
hood. 

When  requested  to  write  the  introductory  chapter  for  the 
history  of  the  Catholic  Church  in  Utah,  it  occurred  to  me  that 
a  brief  exposition  of  Catholic  doctrine  and  belief  would  be  a 
salutary  and  useful  preface  to  a  history  dealing  with  the  early 
and  present  work  of  Catholic  missionary  life  in  our  state. 

Early  in  August,  a  special  cable  dispatch  from  Eome 
reported  Mgr.  Merry  del  Val,  Papal  Secretary  of  State,  to 
have  said  that  "Many  observant  non-Catholics  had  told  him 
that  very  many  English-speaking  people  would  be  prepared  to 
accept  in  their  entirety  the  teachings  of  the  Roman  Catholic 
Church,  did  they  but  know  them  as  they  were." 

During  my  missionary  life  extending  over  a  period  of 
forty  years,  I  have  received  many,  very  many,  converts  into 
the  Church,  and  in  numberless  instances  I  was  told  that 
many  of  their  friends  were  restrained  from  entering  the 
Church  by  ignorance  of  its  doctrines,  early  prejudices  and, 
in  too  many  cases,  by  the  religious  indifference  and  care- 
lessness of  many  of  their  Catholic  acquaintances. 

I  trust  that  this  authoritative  statement  of  what  Catholics 
believe  and  are  taught,  may  help  to  remove  prejudice  from 


2  THE   CATHOLIC    CHUKCH   IN   UTAH 

the  minds. of  our  separated  brethren  and  instruct  Catholics 
themselves  on  many  points  of  Catholic  doctrine  which  they 
accept  without  being  able  to  ' '  satisfy  everyone  that  asketh  a 
reason  for  the  hope  that  is  in  you." — (I  Pet.  iii,  15.) 

In  this  summary  of  Catholic  doctrine  it  will  be  assumed 
that  the  reader  knows  already  the  principal  religious  truths 
which  all  professing  Christians  are  supposed  to  believe. 
Among  them  I  include  the  Unity  and  Trinity  of  God,  the  Di- 
vinity of  Our  Lord  and  His  Resurrection  from  the  tomb.  The 
immortality  of  the  soul,  the  immutable  existence  of  God,  and 
man's  consciousness  of  a  judgment  to  come,  are  elementaL 
truths  common  to  the  human  race. 

But  we,  Catholics,  hold  in  addition  to  these  truths  that 
God  the  Son,  the  Second  Person  of  the  Holy  Trinity,  as- 
sumed our  human  nature  and  became  man;  that  His  concep- 
tion in  the  womb  of  the  Virgin  Mary  was  wrought  by  the 
Holy  Ghost;  that  His  birth  was  in  the  natural  order,  like- 
unto  our  own.  We  believe  that  by  His  life,  teaching,  mira- 
cles, death  and  resurrection,  He  proved  that  He  was  what 
He  claimed  to  be,  true  God  and  true  man — having  two  dis- 
tinct and  perfect  natures,  the  human  and  the  divine,  united 
in  one  divine  personality. 

We  believe  that  this  Divine  Person,  Jesus  Christ,  Our 
Lord  and  Master,  rehabilitated  and  redeemed  our  race  by  His 
sufferings  and  death  on  Calvary ;  that  He  is  the  one  and  only 
Mediator ;  that  there  is  no  other  name  under  heaven  by  which 
men  can  be  saved  than  the  name  of  Jesus  Christ,  Our  Lord. 

While  all  Christians  hold  that  Christ  wishes  all  men  to  be 
saved,  all  do  not  agree  regarding  the  doctrines  He  taught  and 
the  means  He  provided  for  our  salvation.  Non-Catholics 
maintain  that  the  Bible,  and  the  Bible  alone,  forms  the  foun- 
dation of  Christian  belief  and  contains  all  truths  necessary  for 
salvation. 

Catholics  hold  that  Christ  established  a  Church,  and  to- 
that  Church  He  intrusted  the  means  of  salvation  and  charged 
it  with  interpreting  the  Bible.  This  Church  is  popularly 
known  as  the  Roman   Catholic  religion.     But  what  is  re- 


THE   CATHOLIC    CHUKCH   IN   UTAH  3 

ligion?  It  is  the  theoretical  and  practical  recognition  by  men 
of  their  relations,  their  service  and  duty  to.  God. 

It  is  conceded  by  universal  reason  that  all  men  are  essen- 
tially equal  in  their  spiritual  relation  to  God,  because  all  men 
are  equally  creatures  and  all  are  beings  composed  of  body  and 
soul.  As  rational  creatures  they  owe  a  supreme  worship  to 
their  Creator,  and  that  worship  ought  to  be  internal  and  ex- 
ternal, that  is  to  say,  a  visible  and  invisible  worship — the 
adoration  of  the  soul  and  the  worship  of  the  body. 

As  there  is  but  one  true  God,  religion,  to  be  a  revelation 
and  divine,  must  be  one  and  one  only.  The  reasons  which 
prove  that  religion  must  be  one  make  it  also  clear  that  that 
one  religion  should  be  universal,  for  all  men  and  for  all  time ; 
and  unchangeable  or  unalterable,  for  God  cannot  change,  nor 
should  man's  essential  relations  to  God  change  when  these 
relations  are  fixed  by  an  unchangeable  God. 

Though  there  is  and  can  be  only  one  true  religion,  this 
religion  is  natural  or  patriarchal  and  supernatural  or  re- 
vealed. And  of  revealed  religion  there  was  the  Mosaic  or 
Jewish,  which  became  the  Christian  religion  when  God, 
through  His  Son  Jesus  Christ,  completed  His  revelation  and 
supreme  message  to  man. 

We  have  here  to  deal  with  the  Christian  religion  alone, 
which  includes  the  truths  of  all  religions,  and  which  may  be 
defined  as  the  summary  of  all  the  truths  which,  God  has  re- 
vealed to  us,  of  all  the  laws  which  regulate  the  conduct  of  the 
soul  in  its  relation  with  its  Creator,  and  of  all  the  external 
means  of  grace  and  salvation  which  He  has  provided  for  us 
while  we  are  on  this  earth. 

We  maintain  that  the  Christian  religion,  the  religion  of 
Christ,  is  and  can  only  be  the  Catholic  religion.  The  Catholic 
Church  is  the  divinely  established  institution  for  preserving 
intact  and  advancing  the  Christian  religion ;  and  that  Church 
may  be  described  as  a  visible,  well-defined  and  organized 
moral  body,  or  society,  established  by  Christ,  the  imperish- 
able soul  of  which  is  the  Holy  Ghost. 

To  the  non-Catholic  who  views  the  Catholic  Church  as 


4  THE    CATHOLIC    CHURCH   IN    UTAH 

simply  a  human  institution,  her  perpetuity  and  indestructibil- 
ity will  ever  remain  an  insoluble  problem.  The  Catholic,  how- 
ever, is  confronted  with  no  rational  difficulty;  he  compares 
the  Church  to  the  human  body,  differentiating,  of  course,, 
the  natural  from  the  supernatural,  the  human  from  the 
divine. 

As  the  vital  principle  of  the  human  body  is  the  indestruct- 
ible soul,  animating  all  its  parts  and  every  atom  of  its  phys- 
ical being,  the  imperishable  soul  of  the  Catholic  Church  is 
the  Holy  Ghost.  Now  so  long  as  the  soul  remains  with  the 
body,  man  lives  and  acts,  and  so  long  as  the  Holy  Spirit,  the 
animating  principle  of  the  corporate  body  of  the  Church- 
abides  within  it,  the  Church  cannot  perish.  And  as  we  have 
the  ever-abiding  word  of  our  Blessed  Redeemer  that  the  Holy 
Ghost  would  be  with  the  Church  until  the  end  of  time,  the 
Church  must  live  while  time  endures. 

Nor  is  her  immortality  limited  by  locality,  for  her  influ- 
ence, within  her  own  sphere,  is  as  far-reaching  as  the  all- 
powerful  arm  of  the  Eternal  Father. 

That  distinguished  French  philosopher,  Joseph  DeMais- 
tre,  rose  from  the  study  of  the  religious  movements  of  the 
seventeenth  and  eighteenth  centuries  with  the  convictions 
that  "  Heresy  can  never  successfully  compete  with,  or  hold? 
its  own,  against  the  Catholic  Church,  unless  supported  by  the 
strong  arm  *of  military  power. ' ' 

Equally  strong  is  the  expression  of  wonder  on  the  part 
of  the  Protestant  historian,  James  Anthony  Froude.  In  his; 
work  on  the  "Revival  of  Romanism,"  he  tells  us  that  "The 
tide  of  knowledge  and  the  tide  of  outward  events  have  set 
with  equal  force  in  the  direction  opposite  to  Romanism.  Yet,, 
in  spite  of  it,  perhaps  by  means  of  it,  as  a  kite  rises  against 
the  wind,  the  Roman  Catholic  Church  has  once  more  shot  up> 
into  visible  and  practical  consequence.  If  she  loses  ground  im 
Spain  and  Italy,  she  is  gaining  in  the  modern,  energetic  races,; 
which  have  been  the  stronghold  of  Protestantism.  Her  mem- 
bers increase,  her  organization  gathers  vigor,  her  clergy  are 
energetic  and  aggressive.  She  has  taken  into  her  service  her 
old  enemy,  the  press.    What  is  the  meaning,"  he  asks,  "of 


THE   CATHOLIC    CHURCH   1ST  UTAH  5 

so  strange  a  phenomenon?  Is  it  because  science  is  creeping 
like  a  snake  npon  the  ground,  eating  dust  and  bringing  forth 
materialism,  that  the  Catholic  Church,  in  spite  of  her  errors, 
keeps  alive  the  consciousness  of  our  spiritual  being,  the  hope 
of  our  immortality?" 

In  another  part  of  this  remarkable  essay  he  claims  that 
' '  Kome  counts  her  converts  from  Protestantism  by  tens,  while 
she  loses  but  here  and  there  an  unimportant  unit. ' ' 

Some  years  before  the  tide  of  conversions  had  set  in  to- 
ward the  Catholic  Church  in  England  and  America,  and  when 
Mr.  Froude  was  beginning  to  emerge  from  obscurity,  Lord 
Macaulay  was  examining  the  mystery  of  the  indestructibility 
of  the  Catholic  Church.  "There  is  not,"  he  exclaims,  "and 
there  never  was  on  this  earth  an  institution  of  human  policy 
so  deserving  of  examination  as  the  Roman  Catholic  Church. ' ' 

The  Catholic  Church  is  a  perfect  society,  a  supernatural 
society,  a  society  founded  by  Christ  for  the  salvation  of  the 
human  race.  But  the  Church  is  a  society  of  living  men,  and 
therefore  must  be  a  visible  society.  It  is  a  society  for  all  men 
who  would  be  saved  and  must  therefore  be  a  perpetual  soci- 
ety. No  society  can  exist  without  a  head,  a  center,  an  author- 
ity, a  governing  power.  Onr  Divine  Lord  before  organizing 
His  society  and  establishing  His  Church  chose  one  of  His 
disciples  and  appointed  him  head  of  the  society  or  Church 
He  was  soon  to  institute.  "Thou  art  Peter,"  spoke  our 
Saviour  to  this  disciple,  "and  on  (thee)  this  rock  I  will  build 
My  Church." 

Had  the  disciples  of  Christ  chosen  the  visible  foundation 
they  would  have  had  power  to  change  it.  Had  Peter  himself, 
by  divine  appointment,  established  the  Church,  Peter  could 
claim  a  right  to  alter  or  modify  its  doctrines.  But  when 
Christ  Himself  chose  the  head  and  built  His  Church,  no 
power  on  earth  can  destroy  it,  and  all  hell  can  not  prevail 
against  it. 

Now  as  the  Divine  Founder  was  soon  to  go  to  the  Father 
and  leave  for  a'll  time  a  visible  society  to  perpetuate  His 


f)  THE   CATHOLIC    CHURCH   IK    UTAH 

doctrines,  it  was  necessary  that  a  visible  head  should  preside 
over  this  society,  and  so  He  made  Peter  that  head  and  His 
visible  successor  on  earth,  with  superhuman  power  to  rule 
His  Church,  and  in  and  through  his  lawful  successors. to  rule 
it  to  the  end  of  time.  This  is  what  we  Catholics  mean  by  the 
Supremacy  of  St.  Peter  and  of  the  Pope  of  Rome  as  his  law- 
ful successor. 

The  Church  of  Christ  is  one,  holy,  Catholic  and  Apostolic. 
The  Church  is  one  in  its  Sacrifice,  its  sacraments,  and  its 
doctrines.  And  this  oneness  excludes  all  multiplicity,  all 
division,  all  diversity,  for  Christ  said : 

"On  thee,  Peter,  I  will  build  My  Church  (not  churches), 
to  thee  I  will  give  the  keys;  feed  My  lambs,  feed  My  sheep; 
there  shall  be  one  flock  and  one  Shepherd. ' ' 

By  divine  precept  all  are  bound  to  be  within  this  Church 
which  Our  Lord  compared  to  a  sheepfold.  "He  that  hears 
you,  hears  Me;  he  that  will  not  hear  the  Church,  let  him  be 
as  the  heathen.  As  the  Father  hath  sent  Me,  I  send  you;  go 
teach  all  nations ;  preach  the  gospel  to  every  creature ;  he  who 
believes  and  is  baptized  shall  be  saved;  he  who  believeth  not 
shall  be  condemned. ' ' 

There  can  be  only  one  true  Church,  and  all  are  com- 
manded by  Christ  to  belong  to  that  Church.  He  who  knows 
this  will  of  Christ  and  this  obligation  and  does  not  obey, 
cannot  be  in  the  way  of  salvation. 

A  church  teaching  supernatural  truth,  mysterious  truth 
beyond  human  understanding,  must  be  an  infallible  church, 
especially  if  tremendous  penalties  accompany  a  determina- 
tion not  to  listen  to  its  voice.  Hence  our  Lord  made  His 
Church  infallible  on  the  instance  He  made  it  divine.  "I  will 
be  with  you  always,  even  to  the  end  of  time,"  and  again:  "I 
will  send  you  the  Holy  Spirit,  the  spirit  of  truth,  to  teach 
you,  and  He  will  abide  with  you  forever." 

Without  an  infallible  church  there  can  be  no  faith,  no  cer- 
tainty, and  therefore  no  supreme  obligation  to  believe.  The 
only  church  on  earth  that  makes  good  her  claim  to  infallibil- 
ity is  the  Roman  Catholic  Church.     She  not  only  claims  in- 


THE    CATHOLIC    CHURCH   IN  UTAH  7 

fallibility,  but  she  exercises  and  makes  her  claim  operative 
through  (1)  General  councils.  (2)  The  voice  of  her  bishops 
in  union  with  the  See  of  Peter.  (3)  The  Pope,  the  head  of 
the  Church,  teaching  ex  cathedra,  or  as  the  vicar  or  repre- 
sentative of  Christ  on  earth. 

What,  then,  do  we  mean  by  asserting  Papal  infallibility? 
We  mean  that  the  Sovereign  Pontiff  is,  by  divine  appointment 
and  as  successor  to  St.  Peter,  divinely  protected  and  exempt 
from  error  when,  in  the  exercise  of  his  exalted  office,  he  de- 
fines what  is  of  faith,  that  is  what  we  are  to  believe,  touching 
doctrines  and  morals.  Here  is  what  the  Vatican  Council, 
representing  the  universal  Church,  proclaims  in  reference  to 
this  subject:  "We  teach  and  define  it  to  be  a  dogma  divinely 
revealed  that  when  the  Roman  Pontiff  speaks,  ex  cathedra, 
that  is,  when  in  discharge  of  the  office  and  as  teacher  of  all 
Christians,  by  virtue  of  his  supreme  apostolic  authority, 
he  defines  that  a  doctrine  regarding  faith  or  morals  is  to  be 
held  by  the  universal  Church,  he  enjoys  by  the  divine  assist- 
ance promised  to  him  in  blessed  Peter  that  infallibility  with 
which  the  Divine  Redeemer  willed  His  Church  to  be  endowed 
in  defining  a  doctrine  regarding  faith  or  morals." 

It  is  most  important  that  we  hold  clear  and  accurate  mean- 
ing on  this  subject.  A  definition  of  faith  is  not  the  crea- 
tion of  a  new  doctrine,  but  is  simply  an  official  declaration  by 
the  Church,  or  by  the  Supreme  Pontiff,  that  a  defined  doc- 
trine is  contained  in  the  deposit,  or  legacy,  or  revealed  truth, 
left  us  by  Christ. 

"What  is  a  deposit?"  asks  St.  Vincent  of  Lerins.  "It  is 
that  which  is  intrusted  to  you,  not  that  which  is  the  fruit  of 
your  invention;  it  is  what  you  have  received,  not  what  you 
have  devised;  it  is  not  a  private  assumption  of  authority, 
out  an  affair  of  public  transmission;  a  thing  transmitted  to 
you,  not  produced  by  you."  (De  Potes,  v.  29.)  The  Church 
does  not  create  a  doctrine  and  never  claimed  the  right  to  do 
;so.     She  defines  what  God  has  revealed,  and  lifts  above  the 


8  THE   CATHOLIC   CHURCH   IN   UTAH 

region  of  controversy  doctrines  contained  in  the  deposit  of 
faith. 

A  definition  of  faith,  then,  is  not  the  invention  or  creation 
of  a  new  doctrine,  bnt  is  simply  an  authoritative  or  official 
promulgation  of  a  truth  as  old  as  Christianity  itself.  Thus,, 
a  truth  of  revelation  which  was  before  implicit,  that  is,  en- 
closed as  it  were  in  the  deposit  of  all  doctrinal  or  moral 
truths,  becomes,  by  the  official  voice  or  definition  of  the 
Church,  a  thing  to  be  believed  by  every  member  of  the  Cath- 
olic Church  under  pain  of  exclusion  from  her  communion. 
For  example,  the  doctrine  of  the  Infallibility  of  the  Pope  was 
of  necessity  included  in  the  deposit  of  faith,  but  the  vast  body 
of  Catholics  did  not  know  it,  and,  until  the  voice  of  the  Church 
of  God  was  heard  proclaiming  it  to  be  of  faith,  were  not  ex- 
pected or  bound  to  believe  it.  After  the  Church  had  offi- 
cially defined  Papal  Infallibility  to  be  included  in  the  revela- 
tion of  God  to  man,  then  it  became  what  is  called  a  dogma,, 
and  was  to  be  accepted  and  believed  under  penalty  of  excom- 
munication. 

Papal  Infallibility  does  not  mean  that  the  Pope  cannot 
sin.  It  is  one  thing  to  be  exempt  from  sin  or  the  power  of  sin- 
ning, but  it  is  quite  another  to  be  divinely  protected  against 
doctrinal  error,  when  teaching  the  things  that  are  of  God. 

Infallibility  is  not  inspiration.  Inspiration  implies  infal- 
libility, but  the  latter  does  not  necessarily  mean  inspiration. 
By  inspiration  is  meant  the  impelling  will  or  influence  of  the 
Holy  Ghost  moving  one  to  write  or  speak,  His  will  and  pres- 
ence moving  the  mind  of  the  individual,  not  allowing  him  to 
err,  and  influencing  him  to  write  or  speak  what  God  wishes. 

By  infallibility  is  understood  a  special  providence  or  as- 
sistance from  God  by  which  the  representative  or  Vicar  of 
Christ  on  earth  is  preserved  from  all  doctrinal  error  in 
teaching  or  defining  all  matters  of  faith  and  morals  contained 
in  the  deposit  of  truth  already  revealed. 

Now,  there  is  nothing  contrary  to  reason  and  practical 
common  sense  in  believing  that  God  has  given  to  the  head  of 
His  Church  this  prerogative  of  infallibility  for  the  conser- 
vation of  the  doctrines  He  revealed  for  the  benefit  of  the 


THE   CATHOLIC   CHUKCH  1ST  UTAH  9 

human  race.  An  infallible  God  proclaims  to  man  truths 
which  must  be  believed  even  though  they  transcend  the  com- 
prehension of  the  human  mind.  It  was  necessary  for  the 
conservation  and  the  correct  exposition  of  these  truths  that 
the  Church  which  He  founded  should  be  infallible,  otherwise 
we  could  not  be  held  to  believe  them.  An  infallible  God  could 
not  establish  a  Church  subject  to  error,  and  the  exigencies  of 
time  and  locality  demanded  an  infallible  head  for  an  infalli- 
ble body.  There  is,  therefore,  nothing  contrary  to  reason, 
nothing  out  of  harmony  with  God's  dealings  with  men  as  ex- 
emplified in  the  lives  of  the  inspired  prophets  and  apostles, 
if  God  shields  the  supreme  head  of  the  religion  which  He  es- 
tablished on  earth  from  all  doctrinal  error  in  his  capacity  of 
Supreme  Teacher.  It  is  due  to  the  human  race  that  it  should 
be  so,  for  without  infallibility  there  can  be  no  unity  and  no 
obligation  to  believe. 

There  are  two  divine  sources  of  the  Church's  infallible 
teaching — the  scripture  and  tradition,  or  the  written  and  un- 
written word  of  God.  Touching  what  is  known  as  the  Bible 
or  Holy  Scripture,  that  is,  the  Old  and  the  New  Testaments, 
the  relation  to  and  position  of  the  Church  ought  to  be  well 
understood. 

The  Church  teaches  that  the  Bible  contains  the  revealed 
word  of  God,  that  it  was  written  under  the  inspiration  of  the 
Divine  Spirit;  that,  in  the  words  of  St.  Paul  to  Timothy: 
4 'All  scripture  inspired  of  God  is  profitable  to  teach,  to  re- 
prove, to  correct,  to  instruct  unto  justice."  (II  Tim.,  iii,  16.) 
The  Bible  as  we  have  it  to-day,  humanly  speaking,  owes  its 
preservation  to  the  Catholic  Church.  During  the  bloody 
persecutions,  waged  against  Christianity  for  nearly  four 
hundred  years  by  the  emperors  of  Rome  and  the  world,  the 
Church  preserved  the  scriptures  from  destruction.  She 
guarded  the  Bible  with  maternal  care  when  the  fierce  hordes 
of  northern  barbarians  swept  over  Europe,  slaying,  burning, 
pillaging  and  devastating  everything  before  and  around 
them. 


10  THE    CATHOLTC   CHURCH   IN   UTAH 

It  was  the  Catholic  Church  that  fixed  the  Canon  of  the 
Scripture;  that  is  to  say,  she  determined,  for  all  time,  what 
writings  were  to  be  accepted  as  inspired  and  what  were  to  be 
rejected  as  of  human  invention.  She  separated  the  spurious 
from  the  genuine  and  made  it  certain  what  was  the  inspired 
word  of  God.  She  incorporated  the  scriptures  into  her 
liturgy;  that  is,  her  ritual  and  public  worship,  and  insisted 
that  the}7  be  read  in  her  open  services  and  be  expounded  to 
the  people. 

Her  priests  and  bishops  take  upon  themselves  at  their 
•ordination  the  obligation  to  read  every  day  for  an  hour  the 
Bible  and  the  commentaries  on  the  word  of  God.  These  com- 
mentaries, or  notes  and  explanations,  are  the  best,  most  satis- 
factory and  learned  ever  written.  No  scholarly  man  now  be- 
lieves that  the  Catholic  Church  ever  forbade  her  children  to 
read  the  Bible  or  was  ever  opposed  to  Holy  Scripture.  The 
Church  was  and  is  not  only  the  guardian  of  the  Bible,  but — 
I  draw  attention  to  this — she  is  the  divinely  appointed  official 
teacher  and  interpreter. 

The  Bible  was  not,  and  could  not  be,  intended  by  Christ  to 
be  the  rule  of  faith  and  of  morals.  The  theory  that  the  Bible, 
interpreted  by  each  individual  or  by  a  group  of  individuals, 
is  an  unerring  rule  of  faith  is  absurd. 

First,  because  Christ  never  wrote  a  word  of  the  Bible. 

Second,  He  never  commissioned  His  apostles  or.  disciples 
to  write. 

Third,  the  Bible,  as  we  have  it,  was  not  written  and  com- 
pleted until  sixty  odd  years  after  our  Lord's  Ascension. 
Moreover,  it  is  well  known  that  the  Canon  of  Holy  Scripture 
— that  is,  what  books  were  declared  by  the  Church  to  be  in- 
spired—was not  formed  in  any  respect  for  upwards  of  a 
hundred  years  after  the  destruction  of  the  Temple.  Even 
the  Protestant  essayist,  Samuel  Taylor  Coleridge,  admits  in 
one  of  his  essays  that  the  Canon  was  not  collected  into  an 
authorized  volume  for  nearly  three  hundred  years  after  the 
Ascension  of  our  Saviour.  How,  then,  could  it  be  a  rule  of 
faith  for  those  living  in  these  times?    Moreover,  the  Gospel 


THE   CATHOLIC    CHURCH  IN   UTAH  11 

had  been  preached  to  all  nations,  and  the  Christian  Church 
constituted  and  ordered  as  a  divinely  organized  religion  long 
before ;  so  that  before  the  Canon  was  settled  the  Church  de- 
termined the  belief  of  Christendom. 

Fourth,  for  sixteen  hundred  years,  from  the  foundation 
of  Christianity  until  the  time  of  the  invention — and  years 
after  the  invention — of  printing,  it  was  impossible  to  dis- 
seminate the  Bible  or  for  the  overwhelming  mass  of  Chris- 
tians to  read  it  even  if  it  were  possible  to  circulate  it. 

Since  the  Sacred  Scriptures  have  been  unwisely  common- 
ised,  and  each  individual  has  become  his  own  teacher  and  in- 
terpreter, religious  confusion  has  taken  possession  of  the 
human  race.  The  unlearned  and  unstable,  "understanding, 
neither  the  things  they  read,  nor  whereof  they  affirm,  .  .  . 
have  made  shipwreck  concerning  the  faith."   (I  Tim.,  i,  7-15.) 

Christ,  the  Divine  Lawgiver,  appointed  His  Church  to  be 
the  guardian  and  teacher  of  His  revealed  words  to  His  peo- 
ple. "All  power,"  said  our  Lord  to  the  members  of  the  Apos- 
tolic Senate — His  Church, — "is  given  to  Me  in  heaven  and  on 
earth.  Going,  therefore,  teach  all  nations,  teaching  them  to 
observe  all  things  whatsoever  I  have  commanded  you." 
(Matt.,  xviii,  19.)  "Go  ye  into  the  whole  world  and  preach 
the  Gospel  to  every  creature."  (Mark,  xvi,  15.)  "He  that 
hears  you,  hears  Me,  and  he  that  despises  you,  despises  Me. ' ' 
(Luke,  x,  16.)  "He  that  will  not  hear  the  Church  let  him  be 
unto  thee  as  the  heathen."  (Matt.,  xviii,  17.)  These  solemn 
words  of  the  Divine  Master  prove  that  He  appointed  His 
teaching  Church,  and  not  the  Holy  Scriptures,  to  be  the  rule 
of  faith  for  all  Christians. 

The  Bible,  for  four  hundred  years,  has  been  the  rule  of 
faith  for  our  separated  brethren,  and,  as  a  result,  endless 
divisions  and  warring  sects  have  filled  the  civilized  world  with 
doubts  about  the  supernatural  character  and  divinity  of 
Christianity,  have  supplied  the  infidel  with  plausible  argu- 
ments, and  have  served  to  bring  the  religion  of  Christ  into' 
unmerited  contempt. 


12  THE   CATHOLIC   CHURCH   IN   UTAH 

THE  CHURCH  AND  TRADITION. 

The  Catholic  Church  is  the  custodian  of  Sacred  Tradition, 
as  she  is  of  the  Holy  Scriptures.  What  do  we  understand 
by  Tradition?  By  Tradition  we  understand  the  transmission, 
by  the  teaching  authority  or  office  of  the  Church,  of  certain 
revealed  truths  of  salvation  not  explicitly  contained  in  Holy 
Writ ;  such  traditions  are  known  as  oral ;  that  is,  handed  down 
from  generation  to  generation,  either  through  the  Councils  of 
the  Church,  Liturgical  Books,  the  Acts  of  the  Martyrs,  the 
writings  of  the  early  fathers  of  the  Church,  or  inscriptions 
on  the  tombs  and  monuments  of  martyrs  and  confessors  of 
early  days.  The  saintly  and  learned  men  familiarly  called 
the  "Early  Fathers"  were  nearly  all  bishops  or  priests  who 
flourished  from  the  days  of  the  Apostles  to  the  sixth  century. 
The  Fathers  were  succeeded  by  holy  and  scholarly  men 
known  to  ecclesiastical  history  as  Doctors  of  the  Church. 
Now,  where  the  testimony  of  the  Fathers,  sustained  by  the 
authority  of  the  Doctors,  proves  that  a  truth  is  revealed  and 
was  taught  by  the  early  Church,  we  are  satisfied  that  such  a 
truth  was  and  is,  an  integral  if  not  an  essential  part  of  the 
Christian  Faith.  Such  ecclesiastical  tradition  has  always 
been  entitled  to  the  same  veneration  by  the  Church  as  the 
Bible  itself.  Indeed,  as  a  medium  of  transmitting  revealed 
truth,  tradition  from  some  aspects  is  more  important  and 
necessary  than  the  Bible  itself.  The  Church,  whether  in  Mo- 
saic or  Apostolic  times,  antedates  the  Bible  and  is  indepen- 
dent of  it.  The  Church  existed  before  the  Bible,  and  could 
exist  without  it.  But  the  Church  never  did,  and  never  could 
exist  without  tradition.  "Stand  fast,"  writes  St.  Paul  to  the 
early  Christians,  "and  hold  the  traditions  which  you  have 
learned,  whether  by  word  or  by  our  epistle."  (Thess.,  xi,  14.) 
Commenting  on  these  words,  St.  Chrysostom  says:  "It  is 
evident  that  the  Apostles  did  not  communicate  all  in  writing, 
but  much  without  writing.  Both  deserve  equal  faith.  .  .  . 
It  is  tradition,  ask  no  more."  Do  away  with  tradition  and 
the  authority  of  the  Church  and  the  Sacred  Scriptures  them- 


THE   CATHOLIC    CHUKCH  IN  UTAH  13 

selves  would  be  as  the  Vedas  of  India,  the  Koran  or  the  writ- 
ings of  Confucius;  for  neither  their  inspiration,  authentic- 
ity, canonicity,  or,  indeed,  their  certain  interpretation,  could 
be  conclusively  and  authoritatively  proved.  "I  would  not," 
writes  St.  Augustine,  "believe  the  Gospel  itself  unless  the 
authority  of  the  Catholic  Church  moved  me  to  it. ' ' 

CONFESSION,  OR  THE  SACRAMENT  OF  PENANCE. 

Those  who  believe  in  the  Divinity  of  Jesus  Christ  will,  I 
am  persuaded,  agree  with  me  in  admitting  that  the  Son  of 
God  came  down  from  heaven  to  destroy  the  power  of  Satan, 
to  overthrow  the  reign  of  sin  and  to  establish  purity,  peace, 
charity  and  justice.  The  purpose  of  His  earthly  mission  and 
the  object  and  suffering  of  His  divine  life  here  on  earth 
was  to  save  our  race  from  sin  and  its  dreadful  consequences, 
and  to  rescue  mankind  from  the  horrors  of  eternal  death. 
But  it  was  necessary,  in  the  Divine  Economy,  that  man  should 
co-operate  in  the  measures  taken  for  his  salvation.  By  sin, 
voluntarily  committed,  he  estranged  himself  from  God,  and, 
in  order  to  be  reconciled  to  the  Creator  he  insulted,  man  must 
conform  to  certain  conditions  submitted  by  his  Redeemer. 
One  of  these  obligations  was  that  he  should  honestly  repent 
of  his  sins  and  confess  them  to  some  one  authorized  to  listen 
to  him  and,  by  the  authority  of  God,  absolve  him.  Now  that 
the  power  of  absolving  sinners  was  granted  to  the  Apostles 
by  our  beloved  Lord  seems  irrefragable.  When  he  said  (St. 
John,  xx )  that  He  sent  them  as  His  Father  had  sent  Him — 
that  as  He  was  the  Apostle  of  the  Father,  even  so  they  were 
to  be  His  apostles ;  and  that,  in  particular,  they  were  thereby 
and  thenceforth  invested  with  authority  to  remit  and  to  retain 
sins,  it  seemed  hopeless  to  conceive  what  the  meaning  of 
these  words  could  be,  if  they  did  not  involve  all  that  was 
claimed  for  them  in  regard  to  Absolution. 

Moreover,  it  was  evident  that  this  commission  to  the 
Apostles  was  only  a  carrying  out  of  the  Lord's  declaration  in 
regard  to  the  Jewish  church,  that  He  had  not  come  to  destroy 
but  to  fulfil  the  law.  By  that  law  the  priest  was  appointed  to 


14  THE    CATHOLIC   CHUECH   IN   UTAH 

judge  of  carnal  lepers,  and  so  shadowed  forth  the  Christian 
priesthood  to  spiritual  lepers.  As  the  carnal  leper  must  have 
shown  himself  to  the  Levitical  priest  ere  he  could  be  pro- 
nounced clean,  and  be  permitted  to  stand  amongst  the  con- 
gregation of  Israel,  so  was  the  spiritual  leper  to  be  dealt  with 
by  the  Christian  priesthood.  In  both  cases  they  only  who 
showed  themselves  to  the  priest  were  undoubtedly  cleansed* 
If  it  be  maintained  that  the  Christian  priest  has  not  author- 
ity to  judge  between  the  clean  and  the  unclean,  he  is  then 
much  inferior  to  the  Jewish  minister;  if  he  has  not  power  to 
cleanse  as  well  as  to  pronounce  clean,  as  St.  Chrysostom  says 
(de  Sacerdotio),  he  is  not  superior  to  him.  In  like  manner, 
it  was  provided  under  the  law  that  all  persons  disqualified  by 
special  transgressions  from  approaching  the  altar  had  to 
come  to  the  priest  in  order  to  be  absolved.  Nothing  was  clear- 
er that  neither  the  solemn  Paschal  offering,  nor  the  annual 
Day  of  Atonement,  nor  the  regular  morning  and  evening  Ob- 
lations sufficed  for  the  cleansing  of  individual  souls  from 
these  special  transgressions.  Every  single  soul  whose  con- 
science was  burdened,  had  to  come  and  confess  its  sins,  be- 
fore it  was  restored  to  the  full  privilege  of  the  Covenant. 

Thus  it  is  evident  to  every  thoughtful  and  unprejudiced 
man  that  confession  of  sin  belongs  to  an  universal  law  of 
healing,  and  takes  its  date  from  the  fall  of  Adam.  When 
God  interrogated  Adam  it  was  to  lead  him  to  confession,  pre- 
paratory to  the  awful  penance  of  sorrow  and  labor,  to  be 
consummated  only  by  death.  When  he  examined  the  con- 
science of  Cain  it  was  for  a  like  end.  Joshua  in  like  manner 
bade  Achan  not  only  to  give  glory  to  God  by  confession  to 
Him,  but  also  by  confessing  to  Joshua  what  he  had  done. 
Nathan  was  sent  to  King  David  to  obtain  the  acknowledg- 
ment— "I  have  sinned."  Thus,  as  St.  Basil  informed  us, 
"Such  among  the  saints  in  ancient  times  as  repented,  con- 
fessed their  sins." 

We  read  in  Leviticus,  v.  5,  that  if  a  man  were  guilty  of 
any  of  the  sins  there  named,  he  was  directed  to  coofess  the 


THE   CATHOLIC   CHURCH  IN  UTAH  15 

sin  to  the  priests.  So  in  the  Book  of  Numbers  (v.  6),  "When 
a  man  or  a  woman  shall  commit  any  sin,  they  shall  confess 
their  sins  that  they  have  done ; ' '  and  in  the  Book  of  Proverbs, 
we  read:  "He  that  hideth  his  sins  shall  not  prosper;  but  he 
that  shall  confess  and  forsake  them,  shall  obtain  mercy" 
(xxviii,  12).  David  confessed  to  Nathan,  Saul  to  Samuel, 
Ahab  to  Elijah,  Hezekiah  to  Isaiah,  and  Manasseh  to  the 
seers,  "who  spoke  to  him  words  in  the  name  of  the  Lord  of 
Israel. ' '  Nor  was  this  method  really  altered  in  the  New  Tes- 
tament. 

They  who  were  baptized  by  John  the  Baptist  confessed 
their  sins.  They  who  believed  at  Ephesus  "confessed  and 
showed  their  deeds."  It  was  on  this  account  that  Christ  pro- 
claimed His  mission  to  be  for  the  calling,  not  of  the  right- 
eous, but  of  sinners,  to  repentance,  and  to  invite  the  weary 
and  heavy  laden  to  come  to  Him  for  rest.  And  it  was  seen 
that,  though  Lazarus  was  raised  by  Christ  as  the  type  of  de- 
liverance from  mortal  sin,  yet  his  salvation  was  incomplete 
until  the  disciples  were  bidden  to  "loose  him  and  let  him  go." 
When  St.  James  urged  confession  of  sins  and  the  intercession 
of  a  "righteous  man"  as  a  condition  of  healing,  he  was  acting 
in  conformity  with  the  will  of  his  Divine  Master,  who  in  the 
hearing  of  St.  James  declared  to  his  Apostles,  "Whose  sins 
you  shall  forgive  they  are  forgiven  them,  and  whose  sins  you 
shall  retain,  they  are  retained"  (St.  John,  xx,  23). 

Arguing,  then,  from  Scripture  testimonies  alone,  the  in- 
quirer is  convinced  that  confession  to  God  only,  as  an  instru- 
ment and  condition  for  the  remission  of  his  sins,  is  not 
sufficient  for  that  purpose;  but  that  it  is  his  bounden  duty 
also  to  confess  to  those  whom  God  has  appointed  on  earth  as 
His  priests  and  His  delegates  to  receive  that  confession  and 
absolve  him  from  his  sins. 

The  origin  of  and  the  authority  for  confession  is  divine; 
the  very  same  upon  which  rests  our  belief  in  the  inspiration 
of  Holy  Scripture,  and  that  is  the  warrant  and  decree  of  that 
divinely  incorporated  society,  the  column  and  foundation  of 
all  truth,  the  united,  infallible,  visible  Catholic  Church. 


16  THE    CATHOLIC   CHURCH   IN   UTAH 

Few  subjects  are  less  understood  by  the  non-Catholic  pub- 
lic than  that  of  private  confession  and  absolution ;  and,  as  a 
result,  few  subjects  are  oftener  disposed  of  by  sheer  preju- 
dice and  passion.  If  you  listen  to  one  of  the  more  determined 
opponents  of  this  sacrament,  you  hear  it  denounced  as  this 
" auricular  confession,"  as  if  confession  could  be  anything 
but  auricular;  or  this  "private  confession,"  as  if  the  party 
speaking  had  a  preference  for  confession  of  sins  in  public  and 
in  the  hearing  of  the  congregation.  Then  another  time  we 
are  told  that  the  confessional  is  often  abused  and  perverted 
to  a  bad  end,  as  if  nothing  else  in  religion  were  liable  to  the 
same  misadventure ;  or  that  it  exalts  and  exaggerates  priestly 
authority,  as  if  Christ  Himself  did  not  exalt  His  Apostles 
when  he  conferred  upon  them  the  priesthood;  or  that  it  ex* 
poses  all  concerned  to  the  peril  of  impurities  and  defilement, 
as  if  any  kind  of  cleansing  or  healing  could  be  undertaken 
without  incurring  such  risks;  or  that  it  is  unscriptural,  as 
though  we  were  not  told  in  the  Holy  Scripture  to  confess 
our  sins — one  to  another.  These  objectors  would  cover  absolu- 
tion with  contempt  as  being  the  refuge  of  weak  women  or  of 
feminine  men.  What  is  this  but  the  old  cry  against  religion  in 
general ?  What  is  this,  after  all,  but  the  scoffing  censure  of 
the  indifYerentist  and  the  sneer  of  the  materialist  that  our 
churches  are  filled  with  women?  Yet  it  is  a  striking  fact  in 
the  present  day  that  if  any  churches  are  more  thronged  with 
men  than  others  they  are  the  Catholic  churches,  where  the 
doctrine  and  practice  of  private  confession  and  absolution 
are  preached  and  encouraged.  We  have  yet  to  learn  that  the 
patient  who  boldly  submits  to  a  painful  and  distressing  ope- 
ration for  the  sake  of  his  health  deserves  to  be  branded  as 
being  more  effeminate  than. those  who  cannot  nerve  them- 
selves to  submit  to  the  probe  and  knife  of  the  surgeon.  Now 
to  face  shame  and  confusion  demands  more  moral  courage 
and  more  manliness  than  to  endure  pain. 


THE   CATHOLIC    CHURCH   IN   UTAH  17 


THE  DOCTRINE  OF  INDULGENCE. 

Indulgence  is  not  a  pardon  for  sin,  nor  is  it  a  permit  to 
commit  sin.  An  indulgence  is  the  remission  or  the  taking 
-away  of  the  temporal  punishment  incurred  by  the  sinner  and 
remaining  after  the  guilt  and  eternal  punishment  due  for 
grave  sins  are  remitted  by  confession  and  repentance.  There 
.are  many  examples  in  Holy  Writ  which  prove  that  after  the 
guilt  or  stain  of  sin  was  taken  away  there  yet  remained  due 
a  temporal  punishment.  Thus  Adam  was  forgiven  the  guilt 
-of  his  sin,  but  still  what  fearful  punishment  he  had  to  endure 
for  it!  David  was  forgiven,  was  pardoned  his  sin  of  murder 
and  his  violation  of  the  sanctity  of  marriage,  and  yet  was 
punished  by  the  death  of  his  child.  Moses  was  forgiven  his 
sin  of  doubt,  yet  as  a  temporal  punishment  for  it  he  was  not 
permitted  to  enter  the  Promised  Land.  It  is,  therefore,  cer- 
tain that  a  temporal  punishment  remains  due  for  sin  after  the 
guilt  of  it  has  been  forgiven.  Now  the  Church,  by  virtue  of 
the  power  of  loosing  and  binding  entrusted  to  her  by  Christ, 
•can  remit  this  temporal  punishment  on  certain  prescribed 
•conditions,  such  as  the  worthy  reception  of  the  sacraments  of 
Penance  and  the  Blessed  Eucharist,  the  recitation  of  certain 
prayers,  acts  of  mortification,  the  giving  of  alms,  and  the  per- 
formance of  certain  works  of  mercy.  There  is  nothing  in  all 
this  to  show  that  an  indulgence  is  the  pardon  of  sin  or  the 
permission  to  commit  sin. 

Is  it  even,  under  any  circumstances,  allowable  for  the 
priest  or  the  Church  to  fix  a  charge  for  absolving  a  penitent 
or  to  receive  money  for  an  indulgence !  Emphatically  no !  To 
■do  so  would  be  to  incur  the  guilt  of  simony,  that  is,  the  sell- 
ing of  something  consecrated  or  sacred. 

THE  REAL  PRESENCE. 
Jesus  Christ,  our  Lord,  as  man  and  mediator,  held  a  three- 
fold office:    He  was  Prophet,  Priest  and  King.    The  Son  of 
<xod,  when  He  assumed  our  human  nature  was  ordained,  con- 
secrated and  appointed  a  priest  in  a  twofold  sense.    He  was 


18  THE    CATHOLIC   CHURCH   IN    UTAH 

a  priest  according  to  the  order  of  Aaron,  or  the  Levitical  or- 
der, and  according  to  the  order  of  Melchisedech.  As  a  priest,, 
according  to  the  order  of  Aaron,  He  offered  Himself  a  bleed- 
ing Victim,  a  sacrifice  of  blood  on  the  Cross.  As  a  priest  ac- 
cording to  the  order  of  Melchisedech,  He  offered  Himself  in 
the  Eucharistic  Sacrifice  the  night  before  His  crucifixion. 
Melchisedech  is  called  a  priest  by  Moses  because  he  offered  a 
sacrifice  of  bread  and  wine  (Gen.,  xlv.,  18-19).  The  night 
before  He  suffered  Jesus  Christ  took  bread  and  said :  ' '  This 
is  My  Body  which  is  broken  for  you"  (I.  Cor.,  xi.,  24),  and 
taking  the  wine,  He  said : 

"This  is  the  chalice  of  the  New  Testament  in  My  Bloody 
which  is  poured  out  for  you"  (Luke,  xxii.,  20).  The  Catholic 
Church  holds,  and  has  always  held,  that  Christ  meant  what 
He  said.  His  words  were  not  merely  declarative,  they  were 
effective ;  they  proclaimed  a  Sacrifice  and  a  Sacrament.  There 
can  be  no  religion  without  a  sacrifice;  for  sacrifice  is  the  es- 
sential and  distinctive  act  and  mark  of  divine  worship.  All 
other  religious  acts,  such  as  prayers,  hymns,  petitions,  thanks- 
giving, etc., may  be  offeredto  man;  but  sacrifice  can  be  offered 
only  to  the  Creator,  for  it  is  an  act  by  which  we  acknowledge 
God's  supreme  dominion  over  us  and  our  entire  dependence 
on  Him.  The  religion  of  Christ  is  a  perfect  religion,  and 
therefore  must  have  a  perfect  sacrifice.  It  is  the  religion 
that  is  to  last  to  the  end  of  time,  and,  therefore,  must  have  a 
perpetual  sacrifice.  Our  Lord  ordained  His  Apostles  priests, 
when,  after  consecrating  the  bread  and  wine,  He  offered  on 
earth  His  first  Mass,  and  said  to  them:  "Do  ye  this  in  com- 
memoration of  Me." 

In  virtue  of  this  command,  these  first  Christian  priests  and 
their  validly  ordained  successors  for  all  time,  offered  and 
offer  up  to  God  the  bloodless  Sacrifice.  Those  who  have  re- 
jected the  Sacrifice  of  the  Mass  have  rejected  and  lost  the 
Christian  priesthood.  A  priest  is  a  sacrificial  and  a  sacra- 
mental man,  a  man  duly  consecrated  and  appointed  to  offer 
sacrifices  and  administer  sacraments.  ' '  So  let  a  man  account 
of  us, ' '  declares  St.  Paul,  ' '  as  ambassadors  of  Christ  and  dis- 


THE   CATHOLIC    CHURCH   IN  UTAH  19 

pensers  of  the  mysteries  of  God"  (I.  Cor.,  iv.,  1).  As  a  sacri- 
ficial man,  the  priest  ascends  the  altar  of  God  to.  offer  the 
highest  act  of  worship  to  the  Supreme  Master  of  ns  all.  As 
a  sacramental  man,  he  comes  down  from  the  altar  of  God  to 
bestow  divine  graces  and  gifts  to  the  people  in  dispensing  the 
sacraments.  A  sacrament  is  a  visible  or  ontward  sign  insti- 
tuted by  Christ  to  communicate  grace  to  the  soul.  Grace  is 
a  supernatural  gift  destined  by  God  to  enable  us  to  resist 
temptation  and  merit  heaven. 

The  Holy  Eucharist  is,  however,  so  transcendent  a  mys- 
tery that  no  one  view  of  it,  dwelt  on  exclusively,  is  sufficient 
to  exhaust  its  fullness  of  grace  and  blessing.  It  is  the  high- 
est, the  most  solemn,  the  fullest  and  most  perfect  act  of  Chris- 
tian worship.  It  is  the  noblest  offering  of  praise,  the  grand- 
est and  most  joyous  act  of  thanksgiving,  the  completest  and 
most  efficacious  form  of  prayer,  the  surest  means  of  obtaining 
the  grace  and  favor  of  our  heavenly  Father,  the  most  accept- 
able act  of  homage  that  we  can  offer  to  Him,  the  one  act  of 
worship  specially  and  expressly  enjoined  on  all  generations 
of  Christians  by  our  Lord  Himself. 

On  no  subject,  unhappily,  has  more  misunderstanding — 
the  fruit  partly  of  ignorance  and  prejudice,  partly  of  defec- 
tive belief — been  current  than  on  the  Eucharistic  Sacrifice, 
popularly  called  the  Mass.  If  we  have  read  aright  the  signs 
of  the  times  during  the  last  forty  years,  if  the  tide  of  conver- 
sions now  rising  to  the  Catholic  mainland  mark  a  concur- 
rence with  the  call  from  on  high,  and  if  a  more  respectful 
and  deferential  language  toward  the  Holy  Eucharist,  which 
was  in  our  boyhood  stigmatized  as  a  "blasphemous  fable  and 
dangerous  deceit, "  be  an  assurance  of  better  things,  then  let 
us  hope  and  believe  that  God  is  mercifully,  in  this  most  sa- 
cred subject  as  in  others,  leading  back  honest  souls  to  a 
fuller  appreciation  of  Catholic  truth  and  a  fuller  knowledge 
of  the  tremendous  value  of  a  human  soul. 


20  THE    CATHOLIC   CHURCH  IN"   UTAH 

WHAT  OF  OUR  DEAD. 

It  is  in  the  Catholic  Church  alone  that  the  heart  of  man: 
finds  all  its  spiritual  longings  satisfied,  and  its  tenderest 
affections  enkindled  at  once,  and  elevated  by  the  possession 
of  privileges  not  subject  to  time,  and  by  the  exercise  of  du- 
ties which  do  not  terminate  in  the  grave.  In  the  Church,  rela- 
tions and  affinities  once  formed  endure  forever.  They  are  not 
for  this  earth  alone,  nor  only  for  time,  because  they  do  not 
arise  out  of  earthly  associations,  nor  depend  upon  the  laws 
of  human  existence.  They  pass  beyond  the  bounds  of  time 
and  have  their  perfect  realization  only  in  eternity.  These 
relations  do  not  cease  when  death  enters.  The  visible  Churchy 
that  is,  the  Church  on  earth,  is  the  channel  and  means  of  our 
union  with  the  Church  invisible,  that  is,  with  the  souls  who- 
departed  this  life  in  friendship  with  God.  "When,  by  the  One 
Baptism  and  the  One  Faith,  we  are  united  to  the  company 
of  the  faithful  on  earth,  we  are  also  joined  to  the  spirits  de- 
parted, so  that  the  living  and  the  dead  are  members  of  the 
same  Church,  united  to  one  Head,  Jesus  Christ — the  Lord 
and  Ruler  of  both  worlds — subjects  of  the  same  kingdom  and 
members  one  of  another  in  the  same  community. 

Nothing  can  separate  us  from  Christ,  "  neither  death,  nor 
life,  nor  things  present  nor  things  to  come" — nothing  but  that 
which  cuts  us  off  from  the  communion  of  the  Church,  visible 
and  invisible — either  excommunication,  or  a  death  in  mortal 
sin.  The  former  cuts  us  off  from  the  Church,  visible  and  in- 
visible, at  once ;  and  by  death  in  mortal  sin  we  fall  away  from 
the  friendship  of  Christ,  the  hope  of  Heaven,  and  the  fellow- 
ship of  redeemed  souls.  We  have  it  on  the  word  of  God  that 
nothing  defiled,  no  defiled  soul,  can  enter  into  heaven;  and 
the  Holy  Ghost,  in  the  Epistle  of  St.  Jude  and  in  the  second 
general  Epistle  of  St.  Peter,  tells  us  that  the  reprobate  and 
mortally  guilty  are  in  the  unseen  world  detained  in  everlast- 
ing chains,  imprisoned  in  the  pit,  and  that  for  them  the 
"mists  and  storm  of  darkness  are  reserved  forever."  For 
these  we  do  not  pray.   Many  of  the  baptized,  let  us  hope  the- 


THE   CATHOLIC    CHURCH   IN   UTAH  21 

great  body  of  the  baptized,  are  not  willfully  and  obdurately 
sinful;  but  when  about  to  die  they  know  that  they  have  not 
made  satisfaction  to  God  for  sins  committed  in  the  flesh,  nor 
have  they  made  ample  atonement  to  God  for  these  sins.  The 
Catholic  Church  teaches  that  God  has  provided  a  state — St. 
Paul  calls  it  a  place — in  the  other  world  where  satisfaction 
may  be  made  for  mortal  sin,  the  guilt  of  which  is  already 
pardoned  and  the  eternal  punishment  remitted,  or  for  venial 
sins  or  voluntary  stains  found  on  the  soul  when  it  separates- 
from  the  body. 

In  what  way  the  soul,  which  leaves  this  world  in  a  state 
of  grace,  yet  with  remains  of  sin,  will  be  prepared  for  its  ulti- 
mate destiny  in  the  Kingdom  of  God,  into  which  nothing  de- 
filed or  that  defileth  can  enter,  we  know  not.  It  may  have  to 
pass  through  a  longer  or  shorter  period  of  suffering  in  order 
to  its  purification.  It  may  be  that  sin,  once  admitted  into  the 
soul,  cannot  be  eradicated  without  the  application  of  severe 
remedies  external  to  itself.  Sin  has  a  substantive  existence, 
besides  its  opposition  to  the  will  of  God,  which  seems  by  the 
consent  of  the  sinner  to  be  woven  into  the  very  texture  of  the 
soul  itself,  so  that  we  cannot  entirely  get  rid  of  it  by  any 
effort  of  our  own.  After  we  have  repented,  after  absolution,, 
while  we  are  striving  against  it,  still  it  haunts  us ;  we  feel  it 
as  the  presence  of  an  evil  being  which  will  not  let  us  alone;. 
Its  marks  survive  our  earthly  existence.  It  may  survive1 
God's  most  gracious  pardon,  and  require  means  not  attain- 
able in  this  life  for  its  extermination.  All  our  experience; 
leads  us  to  believe  that  there  can  be  no  real,  thorough  convic- 
tion of  mortal  sin  without  the  deepest  anguish  of  mind.  And 
if  it  were  so  that  the  soul  had  to  pass  through  some  fiery 
ordeal,  internal  or  external,  for  its  cleansing  from  the  devil- 
marks  which  have  been  woven  into  it  by  former  sins,  it  would 
not  be  so  much  penal  suffering  as  the  loving  treatment  of  the- 
Divine  Physician  healing  the  wounds  of  the  soul  by  sharp  but 
salutary  remedies,  and  in  healing,  drawing  it  ever  nearer  ta 
Himself  and  imparting  to  it  a  foretaste  of  eternal  bliss. 


22  THE   CATHOLIC    CHURCH  IN   UTAH 

The  Catholic  Church  from  its  beginning  has  taught  and 
teaches  now  that  the  temporal  punishment  due  for  unatoned 
sin  is  modified  and  the  time  of  suffering  shortened  by  the 
operation  of  indulgences,  prayers,  alms  and  especially  the 
Holy  Sacrifice  of  the  Mass.  And  that  this  was  the  belief  of 
the  Church  of  God  before  the  Incarnation  or  birth  of  our 
Divine  Lord  we  know  from  the  history  of  the  people  of  God 
in  the  time  of  Judas  Machabeus.  After  his  victory  over 
Gorgias,  the  Governor  of  Idumea,  Judas  ordered  a  collection 
to  be  taken  up  among  his  officers  and  soldiers,  and  "sent 
twelve  thousand  drachms  of  silver  to  Jerusalem  for  sacrifice 
to  be  offered  up  for  the  sins  of  the  dead.  *  *  *  'It  is 
therefore  a  holy  and  wholesome  thought  to  pray  for  the  dead, 
that  they  may  be  loosed  from  sins.'  "  (II.  Mach.,  xii.,  43-46.) 
Here  is  an  evident,  an  undeniable  proof — even  as  an  histori- 
cal fact — of  the  practice  of  praying  for  the  dead  under  the 
Old  Law  which  was  then  strictly  observed  by  the  Jews,  and 
consequently  could  not  be  introduced  at  that  particular  time 
by  Judas,  their  high  priest  and  commander. 

It  must  be  frankly  acknowledged  that  the  Holy  Scripture 
•contains  no  direct  and  explicit  command  to  pray  for  the  dead 
apart  from  the  living.  Indeed,  Holy  Writ  says  very  little 
about  the  state  of  the  dead;  it  seldom  refers  us  to  the  hour 
of  death  as  the  termination  and  end,  and  the  final  finishing 
of  our  moral  training  and  discipline.  "The  coming  of  the 
Lord,"  "The  judgment,"  is  that  to  which  it  directs  our  at- 
tention as  to  our  goal,  and  the  consummation  of  our  destiny. 
St.  Paul  seems  to  speak  of  the  work  of  grace  as  continuing 
in  the  redeemed  soul  when  it  is  in  an  intermediate  state  or 
in  purgatory.  "Being  confident  of  this  very  thing,  that  He 
who  hath  begun  a  good  work  in  you  will  perfect  it  until  the 
day  of  Jesus  Christ."     (Phil,  i.,  6.) 

"Waiting  for  the  manifestation  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ, 
who  also  will  confirm  you  unto  the  end  that  you  may  be  with- 
out crime  in  the  Day  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ."  (I.  Cor.,  i., 
7,8.) 

But  we  have  plain  directions  to  pray  one  for  another,  to 


THE   CATHOLIC    CHURCH   IN   UTAH  23 

make  prayers  and  supplications  to  God  for  one  another,  to 
pray  for  all  saints.  Now  if  all  who  have  been  and  are  law- 
fully baptized  belong  to  the  same  body  of  the  Church,  if  there 
be  One  Body  and  One  Spirit,  if  that  One  Body  be  Christ  Him- 
self, from  whom  no  faithful  soul  can  be  separated  by  death, 
it  does  not  appear  how  any  one  soul  redeemed  by  the  Blood 
of  Jesus  Christ  and  united  to  Him  by  grace  can  be  excluded 
from  the  prayers  which  the  Church  offers  for  the  living  and 
the  dead,  or  from  participation  in  the  virtues  of  the  Adorable 
Sacrifice  of  the  Mass.  All  who  belong  to  the  "household  of 
God,"  wherever  they  are,  share  in  the  communion  of  saints. 

When  St.  Paul  begged  of  God  (II.  Tim.,  i.,  18)  to  show 
iiiercy  to  the  soul  of  Onesiphorus,  he  certainly  was  praying 
for  the  dead,  and  in  doing  so  professed  his  belief  in  an  inter- 
mediate state,  and  in  the  possibility  that  remains  of  evil  yet 
lingered  with  the  soul  of  Onesiphorus,  his  friend,  which  the 
unknown  discipline  would  cleanse.  The  soul  of  St.  Paul's 
friend  was  not  dormant ;  it  was  in  a  state  of  conscious  exist- 
ence and  its  powers  were  actively  exerted  in  some  way.  The 
same  may  be  said  of  every  soul  in  the  intermediate  state, 
that  is,  purgatory.  Thought  is  of  the  very  essence  of  the 
being  of  a  soul,  in  the  body  or  out  of  it.  It  must  think,  it 
cannot  exist  and  be  inactive.  The  soul  in  purgatory  is  wait- 
ing for  the  voice  of  Jesus  Christ  summoning  it  to  "possess 
the  kingdom,"  it  is  preparing  for  the  beatific  vision.  What 
may  be  the  nature  of  its  sufferings,  the  intensity  of  its  long- 
ings, its  lonely  regret  for  its  sins,  or  the  duration  of  its  exile, 
are  known  to  God  alone. 

This  much  we  do  know,  that  the  Church  of  God,  in  the 
Holy  Sacrifice,  appeals  to  Him  to  have  pity  and  mercy  on 
the  souls  of  her  departed  children,  and  that  the  faithful,  from 
the  beginning,  prayed  for  their  dead.  "We  pray  for  all  who 
have  departed  this  life  in  our  communion,"  writes  St.  Cyril 
of  Jerusalem,  "believing  that  the  souls  of  those  for  whom 
our  prayers  are  offered  receive  very  great  relief,  while  the 
holy  and  tremendous  Victim  lies  upon  the  altar."  (De  Mort., 
1.  iii.) 


24  THE    CATHOLIC    CHURCH.  IN   UTAH 

The  most  unexceptionable  authority  is  to  be  found  in  the 
early  liturgies,  or  books  of  instruction  and  devotion,  on  all 
points  of  Catholic  faith  and  practice  which  they  embrace.  No 
documents  of  proof  can  equal  them  in  importance,  and  when 
they  all  agree,  as  they  do  in  this  matter  of  prayer  for  the 
dead,  we  may  be  certain  that  we  have  attained  the  mind  of 
all  the  churches,  not  in  one  age  or  country,  but  in  all  ages  and 
in  all  countries  where  Christ  has  been  worshiped.  Liturgies 
are  the  voice  and  words,  not  of  one  Doctor  or  Father,  how- 
ever great,  but  of  churches  which  with  one  consent  have  ap- 
proved a  form  of  rites  and  prayers.  In  every  liturgy  ex- 
tant, prayers  are  found  for  the  dead ;  they  form  a  part  of  the 
great  intercession  for  the  Church  and  the  world,  for  the  liv- 
ing and  the  dead.  It  is  beyond  the  limit  and  the  scope  of  this 
Introduction  to  quote  the  words  in  which  liturgies  commemo- 
rated and  prayed  for  the  dead.  We  find  these  prayers  in 
the  Liturgy  of  Malabar,  in  those  of  St.  Mark,  St.  James,  St. 
Clement,  St.  Chrysostom,  the  Sarum,  and  even  to-day  among 
all  the  churches  of  the  East,  among  the  Nestorians,  Monoph- 
sites,  Armenians  and  Copts. 

****** 

There  are  some  other  doctrines  distinctively  Catholic  that 
space  will  not  permit  us  to  enter  upon.  There  is  the  doctrine 
oC  the  Communion  of  Saints,  that  of  the  Immaculate  Concep- 
tion, invocation  and  veneration  of  saints  and  devotion- to  the 
Blessed  Virgin  Mary,  whose  ineffable  nearness  to  Christ  and 
her  immaculate  purity,  draw  a  clear  line  of'  distinction  be- 
tween her  and  all  others,  even  the  holiest  creatures,  so  as  to 
exempt  her  from  the  conditions  which  surround  the  pious 
dead.  The  moth-worn  charge  that  Catholics  adore  the  Virgin 
Mother  of  God  is  practically  dead,  killed  by  the  intelligence 
of  sane  men.  Of  God  we  ask  mercy  and  pardon,  of  the 
Blessed  Virgin  and  the  saints  in  heaven  we  ask  for  prayers 
and  intercession  for  us  with  God.  All  history,  sacred  and 
profane,  offers  us  no  character  worthier  of  our  admiration., 
worship  and  reverence  than    Mary    as    child,    maiden    and 


THE   CATHOLIC    CHURCH   IN   UTAH  25' 

mother.    The  poet  Wordsworth,  inspired  by  faith  and  poetic 
genius,  sings  of  her : 

"Woman  above  all  women  glorified, 
Our  tainted  nature's  solitary  boast, 
Fairer  than  eastern  skies  at  daybreak  strewn 
With  fancied  roses ;  than  the  unblemished  moon 
Before  her  wane  begins  on  heaven's  blue  coast. 
Maiden,  whose  "virgin  bosom  was  uncross't 
By  the  least  shade  of  tbought  to  sin  allied." 

Nor  may  any  Catholic  pay  a  higher  tribute  of  respect  and 
reverence  to  the  sinless  Virgin  than  did  the  Protestant  poet. 
Longfellow  when  he  addressed  her  in  reverent  and  devo- 
tional verse : 

"Virgin  and  Mother  of  our  dear  Redeemer, 
All  hearts  are  touched  and  softened  at  thy  name. 
And  if  our  Faith  hath  given  us  nothing  more 
Than  this  example  of  all  womanhood — 
So  mild,  so  merciful,  so  strong,  so  good, 
So  patient,  peaceful,  loyal,  loving,  pure — 
This  were  enough  to  prove  it  higher  and  truer 
Than  all  the  creeds  the  world  had  known  before." 

No  man  who  adores  God  may  hesitate  to  exclaim  with  St.. 
Bernard : 

" Mother  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  pray  for  me." 

WHY  PRIESTS  DO  NOT  MARRY. 

That  her  priests  must  lead  a  celibate,  that  is,  a  single  life,, 
is  not  a  dogma  or  doctrine  of  faith  of  the  Catholic  Church. 
It  is  of  the  tradition  and  of  the  discipline  of  the  Church  to 
which  a  candidate  for  the  priesthood  must  pledge  himself 
before  he  takes  Holy  Orders. 

Waiving  the  question  of  clerical  celibacy  with  reference 
to  the  requirements  of  the  Church,  let  us  look  back  into  the 
history  of  the  past  and  inquire,  what  was  the  general  teach- 
ing and  tone  of  feeling  in  former  ages  upon  this  point  which 
seems  to  be  above  the  comprehension  of  many  non-Catho- 
lics? 


26  THE   CATHOLIC   CHURCH   IN   UTAH 

We  naturally  turn  first  to  Holy  Scripture  as  that  to  which 
the  professing  non-Catholic  Christian  would  appeal  in  sup- 
port of  his  own  religion,  and  as  a  witness  to  the  soundness 
or  unsoundness  of  ecclesiastical  laws. 

The  high  estimation  in  which  the  virginal,  as  distinguished 
from  the  married  life,  was  held  in  primitive  Christian  times, 
no  doubt  had  its  origin  in  the  teaching  of  our  Lord.  That  He 
chose  a  Virgin  for  His  mother,  and  that  He  Himself  lived 
and  died  a  Virgin  can  scarcely  be  considered  to  be  without 
significance. 

Both  our  Blessed  Lord  and  St.  Paul  unquestionably  give 
the  preference  to  the  unmarried  life  as  being  a  more  favor- 
able state  for  religious  self-devotion  and  higher  spiritual 
aspirations  than  the  state  of  matrimony.  Our  Lord's  words 
are:  "All  receive  not  this  word,  but  they  to  whom  it  is 
given ;  he  that  is  able  to  receive  it,  let  him  receive  it. ' ' 

To  some  it  is  a  gift  of  God,  and  those  who  have  the  gift 
are  advised  to  abstain  from  marriage  "for  the  Kingdom  of 
Heaven's  sake"  (Matt.,  xix,  12).  St.  Paul's  language  illus- 
trates our  Lord's.  He  begins  by  saying  that  it  is  a  good 
thing  for  a  man  not  to  marry  (I.  Cor.,  vii.,  1.) ;  he  would  pre- 
fer to  see  all  men  as  he  was  himself;  "but  every  man  hath 
his  proper  gift,  one  after  this  manner  and  another  after 
that"  (verse  7) ;  but  celibacy  is,  indeed,  to  be  advised"  (verse 
26).  He  encourages  the  unmarried  condition  for  those  who 
aspire  to  holiness  and  he  gives  his  reasons  in  these  words: 

"I  would  have  you  to  be  without  solicitude.  He  that  is 
without  a  wife  is  solicitous  for  the  things  that  are  of  the 
Lord,  how  he  may  please  God;  but  he  that  hath  a  wife  is 
solicitous  for  the  things  of  the  world,  how  he  may  please  his 
wife"  (I.  Cor.,  32-33).  He  draws  a  difference,  too,  between 
the  married  woman  and  the  virgin,  praising  the  condition  of 
the- virgin  (verse  35). 

Here,  then,  though  the  Apostle  is  far  from  finding  fault 
with  marriage,  he  evidently  prefers  celibacy,  not  because 
marriage  is  not  to  be  commended,  but  because  there  is  less 
•distraction  in  an  unmarried  life.   Such  a  life,  undertaken  and 


THE   CATHOLIC   CHUBCH  IN  UTAH  27 

adhered  to,  from  religious  motives,  involves  a  stricter  renun- 
ciation of  the  world,  a  greater  absence  from  earthly  luxuries 
and  enjoyments  and  a  more  entire  devotion  of  the  soul  to  the 
service  of  God.  Nor  should  we  lose  sight  of  other  passages 
which  equally  bear  upon  the  question.  St.  Peter  is  the  only 
one  of  the  apostolic  priests  who  is  mentioned  in  Holy  Scrip- 
ture to  have  had  a  wife  (Matt.,  viii.,  14) ;  but  it  may  be 
doubted  if  he  lived  with  her  after  his  call  to  the  apostleship. 
And  the  same  may  be  said  of  the  other  members  of  the  Apos- 
tolic Senate  if  any  of  them  were  married.  Except  upon  this 
assumption,  how  are  we  to  understand  the  meaning  of  our 
Lord's  answer  when  St.  Peter  said  to  Him:  " Behold,  we 
have  forsaken  all,  and  followed  Thee."  Jesus  said  to  them: 
"Amen,  I  say  to  ye,  that  ye  who  have  followed  me,  in  the  re- 
generation, when  the  Son  of  man  shall  sit  on  the  seat  of  His 
majesty,  you  also  shall  sit  on  twelve  seats;  for  every  one  that 
hath  left  house,  or  brethren,  or  sisters,  or  father,  or  mother, 
or  wife  *  *  *  shall  receive  a  hundredfold,  and  shall  pos- 
sess life  everlasting."     (Matt.,  xix.,  27-29.) 

Judging  from  what  we  read  of  the  Apostles,  we  may  con- 
clude that  it  was  a  spirit  of  self-sacrifice  in  a  celibate  priest- 
hood which  won  for  Christ  the  first  and  greatest  victories; 
and  in  after  periods  of  the  Church's  history  we  learn  that  the 
conversion  of  all  Europe  from  barbarism  to  Christianity  was 
accomplished  by  unmarried  missionaries.  The  bare  idea  of 
such  missionaries  as  St.  Augustine,  St.  Martin  of  Tours,  St. 
Boniface,  St.  Patrick  or  St.  Francis  Xavier  indulging  in  the 
possession  of  wives  and  the  comforts  of  married  life  is  op- 
posed to  our  conception  of  heroic  self-denial.  These  and 
such  as  these  were  the  men  who  carried  the  strongholds  of 
heathendom,  tamed  the  ferocity  of  savage  man  and  converted 
millions  to  the  faith  of  Jesus  Christ.  It  would  be  unfair  to 
a  married  clergy  to  expect  it  to  produce  a  leper  priest,  a 
Father  Damien  or  a  Father  Brebeuf,  who  was  tortured  by 
savages.  Common  sense  tells  us  that  celibates  who  are  free 
from  the  anxieties,  burdens  and  the  responsibilities  incident 


'28  THE    CATHOLIC   CHURCH   IN   UTAH 

to  married  life  are  the  proper  men  to  face  the  perils  of  a 
missionary  life,  and  very  often  the  horrors  of  mutilation  and 
martyrdom  itself.  A  priest  must,  to  faithfully  discharge  the 
duties  of  his  high,  holy  and  most  honorable  calling,  be  free 
from  all  earthly  entanglements,  be  above  secular  interests, 
free  of  family  cares  and  free  also  to  devote  his  whole  life  ex- 
clusively to  the  service  of  God  and  the  salvation  of  souls. 

Again,  he  must  be  ever  ready,  like  his  Divine  Master,  to 
lay  down  his  life,  if  necessary,  for  the  members  of  his  flock. 
When  pestilence  or  infection  ravages  a  community,  when  con- 
tagious disease  of  the  most  virulent  type  enters  the  home  of 
any  of  his  people,  he  need  have  no  fear  that  by  his  death  his 
wife  will  be  left  unprovided  for  or  his  children  orphans. 

The  Catholic  Church  is  inspired  by  the  Spirit  of  all  Wis- 
dom. She  was  directed  by  divine  inspiration  in  the  apostolic 
age;  she  knows  now  from  the  experience  of  centuries  and 
the  lessons  of  the  past  that  the  celibate  state  creates  a  certain 
psychological  and  mental  attitude  in  the  priest  which  is  neces- 
sary to  the  effective  accomplishment  of  the  work  of  the  Church 
— the  salvation  of  souls.  She  is  heir  to  the  experience, 
to  the  religious  and  social  experiments  of  nearly  two 
thousand  years,  and  she  is  too  wise  to  blunder.  She  knows 
that  the  conjugal  state,  in  addition  to  its  hampering  responsi- 
bilities, brings  about  a  condition  of  mind  which,  more  or  less, 
unfits  a  man  to  sympathize  with  the  sacerdotal  life  and  to 
enter  untrammeled  into  the  spiritual  responsibilities. 

Depend  upon  it,  the  Church  is  too  wise,  too  familiar  with 
the  past  and  too  experienced  in  human  nature,  to  insist  upon 
a  celibate  priesthood  were  she  not  convinced  by  a  study  of 
the  centuries  that  the  celibate  state  is  better  for  society,  bet- 
ter for  religion,  and  better  for  the  priest  himself. 
****** 

And  now  I  deeply  regret  the  exigencies  of  space  preclude 
me  from  entering  more  minutely  upon  the  study  of  the  Divine 
and  human  economy  of  the  Catholic  Church.  Her  deeds,  her 
achievements,  her  superb  charities  are  writ  large  in  the  his- 
tory of  the  human  race  for  nineteen  centuries.    Her  mission- 


THE    CATHOLIC    CHURCH   IN  UTAH  29 

ary  labors  and  successes  outrank  those  of  all  the  churches  of 
the  world  combined.  Her  hospitals  for  the  sick  and  injured, 
her  homes  for  the  aged,  the  poor  and  the  helpless,  her  institu- 
tions for  the  education  and  protection  of  the  orphan  and  the 
heroic  charity  of  her  consecrated  men  and  women  surpass 
and  outclass  those  of  all  the  non-Catholic  foundations  and 
all  the  philanthropic  institutions  of  the  entire  world.  (This 
wonderful  Church  of  God  has  survived  the  vicissitudes  of 
time;  she  saw,  to  paraphrase  Lord  Macaulay,  the  beginning 
of  all  the  dynasties  of  the  world  and  she  is  destined  to  see  the 
■end  of  them  all.  She  is  the  truth ;  immortal  truth  is  but  from 
the  Immortal,  and — Truth  can  never  die. 


THE  CATHOLIC  CHURCH  IN  UTAH. 

PRELIMINARY  CHAPTER. 

THE    JESUIT    AND    FRANCISCAN    MISSIO  1ST ARIES    OP    THE    WEST   AND- 

SOUTHWEST. 

Religious  Orders  of  the  Catholic  Church — Opinions  of  Prot- 
estant Historians — Explorations  of  the  Missionaries — 
Dangers  which  Encompassed  them— Trials  and  Tribula- 
tions Left  Eloquent  Memorials — Parkman's  Acknowl- 
edgment— Achievements  of  Jesuit  and  Franciscan  Mis- 
sionaries— Their  Heroism* — Their  Writings  and  Result 
of  Their  Study  of  the  Native  Tribes. 

The  Holy  Ghost,  by  the  tongue  of  the  Archangel  Raphael, 
teaches  us  that  "It  is  well  to  hide  the  secrets  of  the  King,. 
but  honorable  to  reveal  and  confess  the  works  of  God." 
(Tob.,  xii,  7.) 

It  is  the  remembrance  of  this  advice  which  impels  us  to 
record  the  edifying  events  in  the  history  of  the  Catholic 
Church  in  Utah,  and  in  an  especial  manner  the  experiences 
of  the  Spanish  priests  who,  in  1776,  preached  Christianity  to 
the  Indians  of  Utah  Valley. 

Superficial  men  and  men  of  contracted  vision  have  for 
centuries  harbored  prejudices  and  entertained  unreasonable 
dislike  for  the  religious  orders  of  the  Catholic  Church.  But 
sincere,  honest  and  conscientious  men — men  who  could  not 
and  cannot  doctrinally,  see  eye  to  eye  with  us — have  long  ago 
appreciated  the  religious  enterprise  and  the  prodigious  re- 
sults of  their  heroic  zeal.  These  non-Catholic  writers  and 
students  of  history  have  not  hesitated  to  proclaim  the  mem- 
bers of  these  orders  to  be  benefactors  of  our  race,  apostles  of 
religion  and  men  of  transcendent  courage. 

' '  The  monastic  orders, ' '  writes  Leopold  von  Ranke  in  his 
"History  of  the  Popes,"  "were  constantly  accompanied  and 


THE   CATHOLIC   CHURCH  IN  UTAH  31 

animated  by  motives  of  a  religious  character.  They  taught 
the  savage  hordes  to  sow  and  reap,  plant  trees  and  build 
houses,  while  teaching  them  to  read  and  sing,  and  were  re- 
garded by  the  people  thus  benefited  with  all  the  more  earnest 
veneration. ' ' 

Francis  Parkman,  the  Harvard  historian,  after  many 
years  of  study  and  research  among  the  great  libraries  of 
Europe  and  America,  completed  his  history,  ' '  The  Jesuits  of 
North  America, ' '  and  may  be  said  to  have  revolutionized  pop- 
ular opinion  touching  the  religious  orders  and  that  enter- 
tained in  particular  about  the  Jesuits.  He  strangled  preju- 
dice and  disarmed  hostility.  Here  is  what  he  writes  of  the 
priests  who  in  the  seventeenth  century  dwelt  with  the  sav- 
ages of  Canada  and  western  New  York: 

' '  In  the  history  of  humanity  it  would  be  difficult  to  find  a 
piety  more  ardent,  an  entire  abnegation  of  self  more  com- 
plete, a  devotion  more  constant  and  generous  than  we  witness 
in  the  lives  of  these  priests.  A  life  isolated  from  all  social 
companionship  and  separated  from  all  that  ambition  covets, 
then  death  in  solitude  or  amid  most  excruciating  tortures, 
such  was  the  perspective  of  these  missionaries.  Their  ene- 
mies, if  they  will,  may  charge  them  with  credulity,  supersti- 
tion or  blind  enthusiasm,  but  calumny  itself  cannot  accuse 
them  of  hypocrisy  or  ambition.  They  entered  upon  their 
careers  with  the  fearless  souls  of  martyrs  and  the  heroism  of 
saints.  The  great  aim  of  all  their  acts  was  towards  the 
greater  glory  of  God." 

Adolph  Bandelier,  Eliott  Coues,  Charles  F.  Lummis,  and 
other  honest  and  distinguished  students  of  Spanish-Ameri- 
can missionary  history,  are  unanimous  in  their  expressed  ap- 
preciation of  the  disinterested  and  daring  efforts  made  by 
the  Eeligious  Orders  of  the  Catholic  Church  for  the  reclama- 
tion and  salvation  of  the  American  savage. 

"Their  zeal  and  their  heroism  were  infinite,"  writes  Mr. 
Lummis  in  his  "Spanish  Pioneers."  "No  desert  was  too 
frightful  for  them,  no  danger  too  appalling.  Alone,  unarmed, 
they  traveled  the  most  forbidding  lands,    braved   the .  most 


32  THE    CATHOLIC    CHURCH   TIST   UTAH 

deadly  savages,  and  left  upon  the  minds  of  the  Indians  such 
a  proud  monument  as  mailed  explorers  or  conquering  armies 
never  made." 

When  studying  the  history  of  the  explorations  of  those 
early  times  we  must  not  forget  that  these  daring  men,  Jesuits 
or  Franciscans,  were  traveling  entirely  in  the  dark.  Nothing 
in  modern  times  can  approach  the  romance  of  the  solitary 
expedition  of  that  fearless  missionary,  Father  Marcos,  who, 
in  1539,  set  out  from  a  Spanish  settlement  in  Culiacan,  Mexi- 
co, crossed  the  Mayo  and  Yaquis  rivers,  struck  the  head- 
waters of  the  San  Pedro  of  Arizona  and,  reaching  the  White 
Mountains,  pushed  on  to  the  Hopi  and  Zuni  towns,  on  the 
borders  of  New  Mexico  and  Arizona.  Not  many  years  ago 
the  English  and  American  press  and  platform  were  loud  and 
insistent — and  rightly  so — in  admiration  of  the  courage  and 
daring  initiation  of  Speke  and  Burton,  Livingstone  and  Stan- 
ley, who  let  in  the  light  on  darkest  Africa.  But  it  must  not 
be  lost  sight  of,  when  instituting  comparisons  between  these 
men  of  renown,  that  the  recent  explorers  of  Africa  had  a 
satisfactory  knowledge  of  the  outlines  of  the  continent,  knew 
the  names  and  habits  of  the  coast  tribes,  what  rivers  entered 
the  ocean  and  what  animals  roamed  the  unexplored  territory. 
Moreover,  all  that  remained  to  be  examined  of  the  interior 
of  Africa  was  a  certain  area  of  known  breadth  and  length. 

But  the  first  explorers  of  America  literally  knew  nothing, 
absolutely  nothing,  of  the  lands  they  were  entering.  The 
missionaries  who  penetrated  the  northern  wilds  of  what  is 
now  known  as  the  "Great  Basin"  had  no  information  on  the 
extent  and  vastness  of  the  mainland,  and  no  other  guide  than 
an  astrolabe  or  a  compass. 

When  ascending  a  mountain  they  did  not  know  but  from 
its  summit  the  South  Sea  might  be  seen,  or  a  vision  of  the 
"Great  Northern  Mystery"  be  vouchsafed  them.  It  was  not 
only  an  unexplored  land  they  were  entering,  but  a  land  abso- 
lutely unknown  and  perhaps  peopled  by  races  of  men  and 
animals  unlike  anything  ever  seen  or  dreamed  of. 

For  all  they  knew  they  might  encounter  interminable  des- 


THE   CATHOLIC    CHURCH    IN    UTAH  33 

<erts  of  burning  sand  or  rushing  rivers  of  impassable  width. 
They  might  reach  the  foothills  of  mountains  of  unscalable 
lieight  or  lakes  of  burning  pitch.  They  might  chance  upon 
whole  rivers  of  boiling  water,  gigantic  forests,  canyons  of 
.horrent  depths,  snake-infested  marshes  or  volcanoes  vomit- 
ing fire.  They  forded  rushing  streams,  descended  deep  can- 
yons, crossed  yawning  gulfs,  skirted  narrow  ledges  and 
trailed  the  fringes  of  dangerous  precipices  where  one  false 
step  might  carry  them  headlong  to  death.  A  sudden  slip,  a 
momentary  loss  of  self-control,  a  slight  giddiness,  then  a  fall, 
a  hurtling  through  the  rocks,  a  crash,  and  all  was  over.  They 
■endured  the  horrors  of  quenchless  thirst,  of  fierce  and  pro- 
longed desert  heat,  and  waded  through  marshes  reeking  with 
the  exhalations  of  malarial  fever.  Their  days  were  days  of 
marvels,  of  appearing  and  disappearing  wonders,  of  trans- 
cendent possibilities,  and  the  things  and  strange  people  al- 
ready discovered  prepared  them  for  the  wonderful  and  the 
extraordinary. 

It  was  as  if  a  passage  to  the  planet  Mars  were  being 
■opened,  and  the  first  adventurers  to  the  stellar  regions  would 
return  loaded  with  gems  and  diamonds,  and  bearing  tidings 
•of  marvelous  discoveries.  When  that  heroic  Franciscan, 
Pather  Marcos  of  Nizza,  entered  Arizona  and  New  Mexico,  in 
1539,  he  blazed  the  way  for  that  most  remarkable  of  all  ex- 
plorers, Francis  Vasquez  de  Coronado,  who  accomplished  the 
most  wonderful  exploring  expedition  ever  undertaken  on  the 
American  Continent.  After  Coronado  had  returned  to  Mexi- 
co City,  Don  Antonio  de  Espejo  organized  his  famous  expedi- 
tion, gave  New  Mexico  its  name,  and,  arriving  at  Acoma, 
rsaw,  first  of  white  men,  the  astounding  " snake  dance." 
'Then,  in  1596,  Juan  de  Onate  led  a  colony  from  the  City  of 
"Mexico  to  settle  New  Mexico  and  Christianize  the  sedentary 
tribes  of  the  then  romantic  land.  Eight  years  after  planting 
Ihis  colony  he  set  out,  accompanied  by  Father  Escobar,  for 
the  Zuni  and  Moqui  towns  on  the  Chiquito  Colorado.  They 
then  explored  the  Colorado  and  Gila  rivers,  following  the 
•Colorado  to  its  mouth  and  claiming  the  newly  discovered  re- 


34  THE    CATHOLIC   CHURCH  IN   UTAH 

gions  for  the  King  of  Spain.  On  January  25,  1605,  Feast  of 
the  Conversion  of  St.  Paul,  they  raised  the  Cross,  the  em- 
blem of  Christianity,  at  the  mouth  of  the  Gila  and  placed 
New  Mexico,  which  then  included  nearly  all  Arizona,  under 
the  protection  of  St.  Paul,  the  Apostle  to  the  Gentiles. 

Returning  from  his  great  explorations,  Onate  built  the 
city  of  Santa  Fe,  and  assigned,  so  far  as  he  could,  the  tribes 
and  the  whole  extent  of  the  regions  he  had  explored  to  the 
eare  of  the  Franciscan  Fathers.  This  wonderful  missionary 
order  of  the  Catholic  Church  established  missions  all  over  the 
southwest,  and  in  thirty  years  converted  to  the  faith  60,000 
souls,  including  many  of  the  Moqui  and  Zuni  nations.  These 
Spanish  Fathers  were  men  of  great  heart  and  steady  pur- 
pose. Every  man  of  them  was  educated,  fitted  and  trained 
for  the  accomplishment  of  one  great  object,  the  Christianiz- 
ing and  civilizing  of  the  savage  hordes  around  them.  If  the 
recognition  of  a  common  bond  of  humanity  which  unites  the 
races  of  the  earth  and  the  units  of  the  race  be  one  of  the  no- 
blest principles  known  to  mankind ;  if  to  establish  among  men 
a  knowledge  of  our  common  humanity,  to  remove  the  barriers 
which  ignorance,  prejudice  and  narrow  conceptions  of  the 
dignity  of  life,  have  erected,  constitute  greatness  of  soul,  then 
these  heroic  priests,  thirty-eight  of  whom  surrendered  their 
lives  for  love  of  their  savage  brothers  of  the  desert  and  the 
mountain  reached  the  plane  of  greatness  and  will  be  yet  im- 
mortalized in  granite  or  marble. 

But  these  brave  and  saintly  men  did  not  limit  their  time 
and  talents  to  Christianizing,  educating  and  teaching  useful 
arts  and  husbandry  to  their  bronzed  converts.  Many  of  them 
opened  up  unexplored  regions  and  cut  the  trails  to  unknown 
lands.  Of  these  was  Francisco  Garces,  who  crossed  the  Cali- 
fornia desert,  covering  hundreds  of  miles  without  a  com- 
panion, and  relying  upon  Indians  to  show  him  the  way  he 
wished  or  was  obliged  to  go.  Of  these  also  were  the  Fran- 
ciscan priests  Silvestre  Velez  de  Escalante  and  Atanasie 
Dominguez,  who  left  Santa  Fe  July  29,  1776,  for  the  pur- 


THE   CATHOLIC   CHURCH  IN  UTAH  35 

pose  of  exploring  the  land  and  discovering  a  direct  route  to 
Monterey,  in  Alta,  California. 

They  explored  portions  of  Colorado,  entered  Utah,  and 
on  the  23d  of  August,  first  of  white  men,  looked  out  upon  the 
placid  waters  of  Utah  Lake.  They  charted  the  newly  ex- 
plored land,  described  the  tribes  -they  had  visited,  the  botany 
of  the  country,  named  the  rivers  and  mountains  and  be- 
queathed to  us  an  accurate  map  of  the  country  as  it  then  was. 
They  did  more.  On  their  return  to  Sante  Fe,  in  January, 
1776,  they  wrote  out  a  history  of  their  expedition  which  car- 
ried them  to  the  Grand  Canyon  of  Arizona  and  to  the  Zuni 
and  Hopi  villages.  They  described  Salt  Lake,  gave  the 
names  of  the  tribes  living  on  its  shores,  and  left  to  the  peo- 
ple of  Utah  today  an  invaluable  treatise  on  the  habits  and 
manners  of  the  Indians  around  Utah  and  Salt  Lake. 

When  the  Spanish  or  French  missionaries  fearlessly  pene- 
trated an  uncharted  land,  they  were  confronted  with  almost 
insuperable  trials.  The  land  was  to  be  explored,  the  tribes  to 
be  civilized,  superstition  to  be  eradicated  and  the  faith  to  be 
preached.  And  there  is  no  record  of  failure  in  their  noble 
mission.  They  plunged  into  unexplored  regions  with  no 
weapon  but  the  crucifix,  no  guide  but  a  compass,  and  often 
with  no  other  companion  than  their  own  zeal  and  the  grace 
of  God.  They  went  from  tribe  to  tribe,  crossing  deserts  and 
mountains,  encompassed  by  privations,  surrounded  by  deso- 
lations of  sand  or  an  unbroken  and  pathless  wilderness,  ' '  God 
-also  bearing  them  witness  by  signs  and  wonders,  and  divers 
miracles,  and  gifts  of  the  Holy  Ghost  according  to  his  own 
will."     (Heb.  ii,  4.) 

They  were  confronted  with  toils  and  difficulties  of  an  un- 
accustomed experience,  and  blazed  the  trails  in  many  in- 
stances with  their  own  blood.  In  savage  encampments  and  in 
barbarous  pueblos  they  raised  aloft  the  Cross  with  the  ap- 
pealing image  of  the  Crucified  Christ,  ''whose  head  was 
bowed  down  even  as  droops  the  yellow  ear  of  corn." 

The  extent  of  the  country  covered  by  the  zeal  and  marvel- 
ous energy  of  their  priests  is  remarkable.    The  field  includes 


36  THE    CATHOLIC    CHURCH   IN   UTAH 

all  northern  Mexico,  Lower  California,  Arizona,  Northern: 
and  Southern  California,  New  Mexico,  Utah  and  portions  of 
Colorado.  Across  the  uninviting  breasts  of  these  barbarous 
regions  these  saintly  and  wonderful  men  wandered,  instruct- 
ing, teaching,  preaching,  toiling  and  dying  on  the  deserts  or 
mountains,  showing  on  the  whole  such  a  record  of  heroism 
and  zeal  as  to  invite  the  applause  and  admiration  of  heroic 
spirits  and  men  of  lofty  courage.  And  amid  all  their  dan- 
gers, labors  and  trials,  they  were  mapping  the  land,  describ- 
ing rivers  and  mountains  and  recording  the  habits  of  the  na- 
tives with  an  accuracy  of  detail  and  a  fidelity  to  truth  that 
has  withstood  the  attack  of  the  keenest  criticism. 

Separated  from  the  world,  from  ambition,  from  home, 
honors  and  dignities,  they  became  very  near  and  familiar 
friends  with  God.  We  may,  without  exaggeration,  repeat  of 
them  what  Thomas  a  Kempis  wrote  of  the  martyrs  of  the 
early  Church: 

"Saints  and  friends  of  Christ,  they  served  our  Lord  in 
hunger  and  thirst,  in  cold  and  nakedness,  labor  and  weari- 
ness, in  watching  and  fastings,  in  prayers  and  holy  medita- 
tions, in  persecution  and  reproach." 

The  ruins  of  the  churches  they  built  are  to-day  eloquent 
memorials  of  their  love  for  the  sun-scorched  race  they  re- 
deemed, monuments  of  their  zeal  and  love  for  perishing  man 
and  beacons  for  the  civilization  which  was  to  follow.  In 
nightly  hours  stolen  from  lives  of  self-sacrifice,  they  wrote 
for  those  who  were  to  come  after  them,  and  for  the  world  at 
large,  narratives  and  letters,  essays  on  native  manners,  de- 
scriptions of  the  land,  of  the  customs,  ceremonies  and  rites 
of  the  tribes. 

"It  is  impossible,"  says  Parkman,  "to  exaggerate  the 
value  and  the  authority  of  these  writings.  I  can  even  add 
that,  after  the  most  careful  examination,  I  have  no  doubt  at 
all  that  the  missionaries  wrote  in  perfect  good  faith,  and 
that  these  ' Relations'  are  entitled  to  an  honorable  place  as 
historic  documents  worthy  of  all  confidence." — (The  Jesuits, 
of  North  America.) 


THE    CATHOLIC    CHURCH   IN   UTAH  37 

They  mapped  and  delineated  whole  regions,  named  moun- 
tains, rivers  and  valleys,  and  left  us  an  invaluable  library  on 
aboriginal  man  and  savage  nature.  In  this  incomparable 
collection  are  included  dissertations  on  botany,  geology,  zool- 
ogy, ethnology  and  on  tribal  languages  and  dialects. 

They  omitted  nothing;  in  their  edifying  letters  we  find 
accurate  descriptions  of  localities  and  of  natural  curiosities, 
a  wealth  of  historical  and  legendary  information,  reports  on 
manners  and  customs  interspersed  with  characteristic  anec- 
dotes and  bits  of  folk  lore.  Their  writings  have  proved  of  in- 
estimable value  to  the  secular  historians  who  have  enlarged 
the  sphere  and  are  now  exploiting  the  aboriginal  past. 

There  is  not,  in  the  history  of  heroic  endeavor,  a  more  in- 
spiring chapter  than  that  which  records  the  deeds  of  self-de- 
nial, the  apostolic  labors  and  the  affection  of  these  lonely 
priests  for  their  spiritual  children  of  the  forest  or  the  desert. 
To  a  fervor  that  was  intense  and  an  abnegation  that  was  en- 
tire, they  added  a  devotion  that  was  indefatigable.  They 
brought  to  the  discharge  of  their  exalted  office  an  unselfish- 
ness that  was  admirable  and  a  fortitude  under  deprivation 
and  suffering  which,  since  Apostolic  times,  has  hardly  a 
parallel  in  human  histoiy. 

That  they  might  enlarge  their  usefulness  and  broaden 
their  influence  with  their  tribal  flocks,  they  conformed  and 
adapted  themselves  to  Indian  ways,  to  their  manners,  cus- 
toms and  linguistic  address.  They  smoked  the  calumet  with 
the  Onondagas,  exchanged  wampum  belts  with  the  Hurons,. 
and  ate  atole  out  of  the  same  bowl  with  the  Pimas.  They 
mastered  the  dialects  of  the  tribes  that  they  might  familiarly 
use  the  allegories,  metaphors  and  figures  of  speech  with  which 
the  tribal  orator  clothed  his  appeals. 

Of  the  brave  and  saintty  soldiers  of  the  cross  who  did 
duty  on  savage  fields  in  those  early  days,  fifty-two  won  the 
crown  of  martyrdom.  All  these  were  slaughtered  for  the 
faith  within  the  present  limits  of  the  United  States  and  fell 
beside  the  standard  of  the  Cross  breathing  loyalty  to  God  and 
His  Church  in  their  expiring  agonies. 


38  THE    CATHOLIC   CHURCH   IN   UTAH 

Nor  should  we  marvel  that  God  gave  such  courage  to  men. 
When  our  Divine  Lord  instituted  His  Church,  He  dowered  it 
with  the  Seven  Gifts  of  the  Holy  Ghost,  and  conspicuous 
among  these  are  Piety  and  Fortitude  which,  when  received 
into  the  soul,  make  of  the  coward  a  brave  man.  From  the 
day  of  the  crucifixion  of  St.  Peter,  down  to  our  own  times, 
the  Church  has  been  the  faithful  mother  of  heroes,  martyrs 
and  confessors.  The  Damiens  and  the  leper  sisters  of  Port- 
of -Spain  and  Tracadie,  were,  and  are  what  they  are,  by  the 
grace  of  the  Holy  Spirit  operating  on  the  human  will  through 
the  Sacraments  and  the  Divine  Sacrifice  of  the  unalterable 
Church  of  God. 

"The  heroism  of  the  priests  and  nuns,"  writes  Mr.  George 
Sampson  in  the  London  Daily  Chronicle,  "who  have  sacri- 
ficed their  lives  in  an  effort  to  ameliorate  the  condition  of  the 
unfortunate  victims  on.  the  lonely  and  isolated  island  in  the 
Pacific  ocean,  excites  the  most  profound  feelings  of  admira- 
tion in  every  breast." 

If  Mr.  Sampson  were  intimate  with  the  missionary  his- 
tory of  the  Catholic  Church,  his  admiration  would  deepen 
into  wonder  and,  like  the  men  of  Nazareth,  he  would  "fear 
and  glorify  God  who  had  given  such  power  to  men." 

The  Spanish  Franciscan  priests  stretched  a  chain  of  mis- 
sions from  Mexico  City  to  the  Bay  of  San  Francisco,  and 
eastward  into  Kansas,  to  a  point  where,  figuratively,  they  met 
the  missionaries  of  the  great  Jesuit  Order  from  Canada  and 
where  these  soldiers  of  the  two  divisions  of  the  Army  of  the 
Cross  sang  a  "Te  Deum"  to  God  that  the  name  of  Jesus 
Christ  was  reverenced  and  the  Faith  proclaimed  across  the 
North  American  continent  from  ocean  to  ocean. 


CHAPTER  I. 

MARCOS  DE  NIZZA,  PRIEST  AND  EXPLORER. 

Area  of  Salt  Lake  Diocese — Tribes  of  Arizona  and  Neiv 
Mexico— The  Moqui,  "Cliff  People"— The  Priest  Marcos 
de  Nizza — Companion  of  Pizarro — His  Wonderful  Ca- 
reer— On  the  Way  to  the  Zuni  Villages — De  Nizza' s 
Tramp  through  Northern  Mexico — His  Plunge  into 
Arizona  in  1539 — Death  of  the  Negro  Estavan — View  of 
Cibola — Return  and  Death  of  the  Priest. 

Any  descriptive  work  professing  to  deal  with  the  early 
history  of  a  great  Church  in  a  region  embracing  154,000 
square  miles  of  territory  must,  in  a  measure,  anticipate  the 
epoch  of  which  it  treats.  It  will  unfold  a  panorama  of  neigh- 
boring lands  and  peoples  before  and  during  the  period  with 
which  it  is  occupied,  that  the  reader  may  better  understand 
the  situation,  the  region  and  the  individuals  to  whom  he  will 
be  introduced,  and  with  whom,  speculatively,  he  will  asso- 
ciate. 

If,  then,  we  examine  the  condition  of  our  country  west 
of  the  Rocky  Mountains  as  it  was  three  hundred  years  ago, 
we  find  it  occupied  by  a  number  of  independent  hordes  and 
sedentary  tribes.  Sonora,  northern  Mexico,  then  included 
Arizona  as  far  as,  and  some  miles  beyond,  the  present  city 
of  Tucson.  Over  this  immense  region  of  mountains,  arid 
deserts  and  river  lands  roamed  the  warlike  Apaches,  who 
scorned  the  drudgery  of  horticulture  and  trusted  to  their 
fleetness  of  foot  and  skill  in  hunting  for  subsistence.  Set- 
tled along  the  fertile  valleys  of  the  Salt  River,  the  Gila,  the 
San  Pedro,  the  Santa  Cruz  and  the  lower  Colorado,  and 
extending  themselves  inland  to  the  fringes  of  the  desert  or 
the  foothills  of  the  mountains,  dwelt  various  tribes,  sub-tribes 
and  tribal  groups,  dibble-men  and  men  of  the  stone  hoe. 

Each  of  these  practised  a  rude  cultivation,  possessed  a 


40  THE   CATHOLIC   CHURCH  IN   UTAH 

character  of  its  own,  and,  such  as  it  was,  an  independent  ex- 
istence. Common  to  all  was  the  idea  of  a  Supreme  Being, 
belief  in  good  and  evil  spirits,  in  witchcraft,  incantations  and 
in  the  supernal  or  infernal  powers  of  Shamans,  or  witch-doc- 
tors. 

To  the  north,  ranging  from  the  San  Francisco  mountains 
of  Arizona  on  the  west  to  the  neighborhood  of  the  pueblo 
towns  of  New  Mexico  on  the  east,  and  from  the  San  Juan 
mountains  down  southward  to  Mount  San  Mateo,  roamed  the 
Navajos,  an  offshoot  of  the  warlike  Apaches. 

The  Moquis,  known  to-day  as  the  Cliff  Dwellers,  inhabit- 
ed then  the  villages  where  they  now  are  in  northeastern  Ari- 
zona. The  existing  village  of  Oraibi,  on  a  bluff  of  one  of  the 
Moqui  messas,  is  the  identical  pueblo  discovered  by  an  ex- 
ploring party  sent  forward  by  Coronado  in  1540.  To  the 
south  and  east  of  the  Moqui  lands,  near  the  headwaters  of 
the  Puercos  and  Pecos  rivers,  tributaries  to  the  TCio  Grande, 
dwelt  the  Zuni,  a  sedentary  people,  to  whose  villages  was 
given  the  name  of  pueblos  by  the  Spaniards. 

North  and  northeast  of  the  hunting  and  arable  lands  of 
all  these  tribes  stretched  an  unknown  sea  and  country  called 
by  the  Spaniards  the  ' '  Northern  Mystery, ' '  a  land  shrouded 
in  impenetrable  gloom,  whose  limitless  distances,  ferocious 
hordes  and  terrifying  wilds  awed  exploration.  Into  these 
uncharted  and  unknown  regions  fearlessly  strode  the  Spanish 
missionary  Fathers,  bearing  a  message  of  salvation  and 
hope. 

There  is  not  in  the  history  of  exploration,  perhaps  not 
in  the  history  of  the  human  race,  a  tale  more  romantic  and 
thrilling  than  that  which  records  the  adventurous  plunge 
into  the  darkness  of  the  great  Arizonian  mountains  and  deso- 
lations of  sand  of  the  Spanish  priest,  Fray  Marcos  de  Nizza, 
in  1539.  This  adventurous  and  zealous  priest  was  the  com- 
panion of  Francisco  Pizarro,  when  the  daring  Spaniard 
swept,  like  a  whirlwind,  to  the  conquest  of  Peru,  and  subdued 
an  empire.  He  returned  from  Peru  by  command  of  his  supe- 
riors  and  was   doing  missionary   duty  on   the   frontier   of 


THE   CATHOLIC    CHUKCH   IN   UTAH  41 

Northern  Mexico,  subject  to  further  orders,  when,  early  in 
1536,  three  gaunt  and  sun-tanned  men  entered  the  fortified 
town  of  San  Miguel  de  Culiacan,  Sinola,  Northern  Mexico, 
and  told  a  tale  of  starvation  and  adventure  which  staggered 
belief.  They  claimed  to  be  survivors  from  the  ill-fated  ships 
of  Pamfilio  de  Narvaez,  who  on  the  17th  of  June,  1527,  sailed 
away  from  the  port  of  San  Lucar  de  Barrameda,  Spain,  and 
was  never  again  heard  of.  After  the  ships  went  to 
pieces  these  three  men,  Andres  Dorantes,  Alonzo  del  Cas- 
tillo Maldonado,  Alvan  Nunez  Cabeza  de  Vaca  and  a  negro 
slave,  Estavan,  were  washed  ashore  and  captured  by  Florida 
Indians.  Escaping  after  some  years  of  captivity,  they 
tramped  toward  the  setting  sun,  masquerading  among  the 
savages  as  medicine  men  from  another  world,  and  passing 
over  immense  regions  and  through  so  many  tribes  that  "the 
memory  fails  to  recall  them." 

The  fabulous  tales  they  told  and  the  wonderful  people 
they  encountered  fired  the  imagination  and  stimulated  the 
zeal  of  the  Franciscan  friar,  De  Nizza,  and  he  resolved  to 
plunge  into  the  uncharted  land  and  open  a  way  through  these 
mysterious  regions  for  the  missionaries  of  his  order.  He 
applied  for  and  obtained  from  the  Provincial  of  the  Fran- 
ciscans in  Mexico,  Fray  Antonio  de  Ciudad  Rodrigo,  permis- 
sion to  begin  his  adventurous  journey. 

Carrying  in  his  pocket  his  permit  and  instructions  from 
the  viceroy,  Mendosa,  then  dwelling  at  Toula,  New  Galicia, 
dated  November  20  (1st  of  December,  Reformed  Calendar)  t 
1538,  Fray  Marcos  started,  March  7,  1539,  from  the  town  of 
San  Miguel,  Sinoloa,  and  entered  upon  his  daring  expedi- 
tion. 

He  was  accompanied  by  an  Italian  Franciscan,  Fray 
Honorato,  the  negro,  Estavan,  who,  with  the  survivors  of 
Narvaez 's  ill-fated  expedition,  crossed  the  continent,  and  by 
some  friendly  Sinoloa  Indians.  When  the  expedition  struck 
the  Sinoloa  or  Petaltan,  Fray  Honorato,  his  only  white  com- 
panion, contracted  tertian  fever  and  was  left  in  the  care  of 
an  Indian  family.     Fray  Marcos  pushed  on  "as  the  Holy 


42  THE   CATHOLIC   CHURCH  IX  UTAH 

Spirit  did  guide  us."  Taking  along  two  sonora  guides,  the 
fearless  priest  continued  his  journey  north  by  west  and, 
paralleling  the  shore  line  of  the  North  sea  or,  as  it  is  now 
called,  the  Gulf  of  California,  he  entered  the  land  of  the 
Yaquis,  crossing  the  Fuerte,  Mayo  and  Yaqui  rivers.  Sweep- 
ing to  the  west,  he  came  to  the  hunting  grounds  of  the  Eu- 
deves,  tramped  a  forbidding  country,  and  on  the  evening  of 
March  21,  1539,  arrived  at  the  Indian  town  of  Vacapa,  on 
the  headwaters  of  the  Eio  Matape,  central  Sonora.  Here  the 
brave  priest  remained  for  some  time  instructing  the  Eudeves 
in  the  elements  of  the  Christian  religion. 

On  the  second  day  after  his  arrival  among  the  Eudeves, 
he  sent  the  negro  with  Indian  guides  on  a  scout  northward 
into  the  Arizona  of  to-day.  The  negro  was  instructed  "to 
go  to  the  north  fifty  or  sixty  leagues  (one  hundred  and 
twenty  miles)  to  see  if  in  that  region  he  might  see  something 
out  of  the  ordinary,  or  a  well-settled  and  rich  country,  and  if 
so,  to  send  an  Indian  or  two  with  a  message. ' '  It  was  under- 
stood between  them  that  the  messengers  were  to  bring,  from 
the  negro  to  the  priest,  a  cross,  and  that  the  size  of  the 
cross  would  make  known  to  Fray  Marcos  the  importance  of 
Estavan 's  discovery.  If  the  cross  wrere  large,  the  priest 
would  understand  the  things  seen  by  the  negro  were  of  great 
importance. 

On  the  morning  of  the  fourth  day  after  the  negro  had  left 
for  the  north,  two  strange  Indians  entered  Vacapa  carrying 
a  cross  large  enough  to  crucify  the  priest. 

"They  told  me,"  writes  Fray  Marcos  in  his  Report,  "by 
order  of  Estavan,  that  I  should  now  set  out  at  once,  for  he 
had  met  people  who  had  given  him  information  of  the  great- 
est thing  on  earth;  that  he  was  now  with  Indians  who  had 
been  there,  one  of  whom  he  sent  to  me."  This  Indian  told 
me  so  many  things  of  his  country  that  I  hesitated  to  believe 
until  I  would  see  the  country  myself  or  obtained  further 
proof.  This  Indian  said  that  from  where  Estavan  now  was, 
it  would  take  thirty  days  to  go  to  the  first  city  of  the  country 
that  was  called  Cibola.     Moreover,  he  stated  that  in  this 


THE   CATHOLIC   CHURCH  IN"  UTAH  43 

province  were  seven  very  large  cities  all  under  one  gov- 
ernor ;  that  the  houses  were  large,  built  of  stone  and  lime,  the 
smallest  of  these  houses'  was  of  two  stories,  others  of  three 
or  four  stories,  and  all  flat  roofed;  *  *  *  that  the  people 
of  these  cities  were  well  clothed,  and  many  other  particulars 
he  told  me,  not  alone  of  the  Seven  Cities,  but  of  other  lands 
further  on,  which  were  more  important  than  the  Seven 
Cities." 

When  Father  Marcos  heard  these  wonderful  stories  he 
raised  his  hands  and  "gave  thanks  to  our  Lord."  Ever  since 
the  time  of  Nuna  de  Guzman,  1530,  there  was  a  dim  tradi- 
tion of  the  existence  of  these  seven  cities,  and  now  with  his 
own  eyes  he  was  to  gaze  upon  them.  Starting  at  once  on 
a  tramp  through  the  Sonora  Valley,  he  swung  to  the  north, 
and  after  four  days  of  fatiguing  travel  through  a  wild  and 
uninhabited  region,  he  stood  on  the  banks  of  a  river,  now 
known  as  the  San  Pedro,  on  the  confines  of  Arizona.  He  was 
now  among  the  Sobaipuris,  200  miles  from  the  Gulf  of  Califor- 
nia, and  heard  again  of  the  existence  of  a  populous  city 
further  north  which  they  also  called  Cibola.  They  told  him 
that  between  them  and  Cibola  was  a  great  wilderness  in- 
habited by  fierce  and  crafty  people,  and  that  it  would  be 
dangerous  for  him  to  advance  farther  to  the  north. 

After  a  friendly  visit  of  three  or  four  days  with  the 
Sobaipuris,  the  Friar,  on  May  19th,  re-entered  upon  his  peril- 
ous journey.  Veering  to  the  northeast,  he  tramped  Arizona, 
its  deserts  and  mountains,  crossed  the  Gila  and  Salado  rivers 
and,  toward  the  end  of  May,  1539,  sighted  the  Zuni  village 
of  Havico,  in  the  territory  now  called  New  Mexico.  Here 
his  journey  northward  abruptly  came  to  an  end,  by  a  verified 
account  that  the  negro  Estavan,  who  was  sent  forward  to  re- 
port the  coming  of  the  priest,  had  been  murdered  by  the 
Zuni. 

Fray  Marcos,  before  retreating  to  the  south,  erected  a 
wooden  cross  on  a  stone  cairn,  gave  to  the  land  the  title  of 
the  "New  Kingdom  of  St.  Francis,"  took  possession  of  it  in 
the  name  of  Jesus  Christ,  and  began  his  homeward  travel — 


44  THE   CATHOLIC   CHURCH  IN   UTAH 

"Con  harto  mas  temor  que  comida — with  a  load  of  fear  and 
an  empty  sack,"  as  lie  facetiously  writes  in  his  diary. 

The  aim  the  great  missionary  had  in  mind  when  he  en- 
tered on  his  romantic  trip  was  to  open  a  way  for  the  Francis- 
can priests  who  were  to  follow,  to  explore  the  land  and 
report  on  the  disposition  of  the  tribes. 

This  was  one  of  the  most  extraordinary,  if  not  the  most 
extraordinary,  journeys  on  foot  ever  voluntarily  undertaken 
by  a  single  man  on  the  continent  of  North  America.  Alone, 
unarmed;  this  wonderful  priest,  animated  with  burning  zeal 
for  the  salvation  of  souls,  flung  himself  into  an  unbroken 
desolation  of  wilderness,  fearlessly  penetrated  the  camps  and 
habitats  of  uncivilized  man,  and  returned  to  his  countrymen 
after  covering  1,200  miles  of  desert,  mountain  and  river  lands 
in  the  six  months  of  his  disappearance. 


CHAPTER  II. 

THE   EXPLORER   AND    THE    MISSIONARY. 

March  of  Coronado  for  the  Cibola — His  Companions— Death 
of  the  Priest  Juan  de  la  Cruz — Of  Brother  Luis  Descal- 
amo — Father  Padilla  and  Pedro  de  Tobar  Visit  the  Mo- 
quis — March  of  Coronado  and  Padilla  Through  Oklahoma 
and  Indian  Territory  in  1541 — Enter  Kansas,  Crossing 
the  Arkansas — Return  of  Coronado — Padilla 's  Journey 
to  the  Teton-Sioux — Starts  for  Lands  of  the  Pawnees — 
7s  Murdered — Body  Never  Recovered — Mota-Padilla's 
Account. 

The  official  report  of  Fray  Marcos  De  Nizza,  his  wonder- 
ful exploit,  the  lands  he  had  seen  and  the  tribes  with  whom 
he  tarried  stimulated  the  ambition  and  aroused  the  enthu- 
siasm of  the  Spaniards  in  Mexico,  and  initiated  the  famous 
expedition  of  Coronado  in  1540. 

When  Coronado  began  his  inarch  for  the  fabulous  Seven 
Cities  of  Cihola  there  went  with  him  three  Franciscan 
priests  and  a  lay  brother  to  teach  Christianity  to  the  natives. 
Happily  the  names  of  these  zealous  missionaries  have  been 
preserved  to  us,  and  we  owe  it  to  our  admiration  for  disinter- 
ested courage  and  zeal  to  see  to  it  that  these  names  will  live 
for  all  time. 

Best  known  of  these  was  Father  Marcos  of  Nizza.  He 
accompanied  the  expedition  to  the  Zuni  towns — the  Zuni- 
Cibola  of  New  Mexico,  which  he  had  already  seen  and  of 
which  he  had  written.  His  health  failing  him,  he  returned 
to  Mexico  City,  where  he  died  March  25,  1558. 

The  priest  Juan  de  la  Cruz  was  of  French  descent,  and 
was  aging  rapidly  when  he  volunteered  to  accompany  Cor- 
onado. He  was  a  man  of  great  piety,  and  was  reverenced  by 
Coronado 's  men  for  his  sterling  qualities  of  head  and  heart. 
When  Coronado  retired  from  New  Mexico,  April,  1542,  the 


46  THE   CATHOLIC   CHURCH  IN  UTAH 

aged  priest  stayed  with  the  Indians  at  Tigua,  now  Bernalillo, 
on  the  Rio  Grande,  which  cuts  New  Mexico  from  north  to 
south.  As  he  was  never  again  heard  of,  and  no  positive 
statement  in  regard  to  his  fate  is  found  in  the  early  writers, 
we  may  only  conclude  that  he  was  murdered  by  the  Tiguans. 

Fray  Luis  Descalamo,  the  lay  brother,  selected  for  his 
field  of  labor,  after  the  Spaniards  left  the  country,  the  vil- 
lage of  Pecos,  on  the  left  bank  of  and  high  up  on  the  Pecos 
river,  northern  New  Mexico.  When  Coronado  was  leaving 
for  Mexico  he  presented  to  Fray  Luis  five  or  six  sheep.  These 
the  lonely  man  drove  before  him  into  the  Zuni  country, 
pausing  many  times  in  the  day  to  let  them  browse,  and  at 
night  lying  down  to  rest  with  his  sheep  sleeping  around  him. 

"When  he  entered  the  Pecos  with  his  little  flock  he  was 
hospitably  welcomed  by  the  Indians  of  the  great  pueblo  and 
told  he  might  settle  among  them.  He  now  built  himself 
a  rough  cabin  on  the  prairie  outside  the  village  and  gathered 
the  little  children  around  him  for  instruction  in  the  cate- 
chism. How  long  the  venerable  man  lived  here,  or  what  be- 
came of  his  sheep,  we  do  not  know.  He  may  have  died  in 
his  little  hut,  or  he  may  have  been  murdered  by  one  of  the 
sorcerers  or  medicine  men,  jealous  of  his  popularity  with  the 
tribe.  When  Espejo  passed  by  the  Zuni  villages,  forty  years 
after  Coronado 's  expedition,  he  heard  nothing  of  the  fate  of 
Fray  Luis. 

Father  Juan  de  Padilla,  who  seems  to  have  been  a  confi- 
dential friend  of  Coronado,  was  comparatively  a  young  and 
vigorous  man  when  he  volunteered  to  join  his  Provincial  Fray 
Marcos  on  Coronado 's  explorations. 

When  Coronado  advanced  some  days  ahead  of  his  army 
toward  Zune-Cibola,  all  the  Franciscans  accompanied  him. 
While  he  camped  for  a  time  among  the  Zunis  he  dispatched 
Pedro  de  Tobar,  his  lieutenant,  and  twelve  men  to  escort 
Father  Padilla  on  his  visit  to  Tuscayan  and  the  Moqui  pueb- 
los. He  was  the  first  white  man  who  ever  saw  or  entered  a 
Moqui  village  or  spoke  to  a  "snake  man."  Returning  to 
Coronado 's  camp  at  Cibola,  he  joined  an  exploring  expedi- 


THE   CATHOLIC    CHURCH   IN  UTAH  47 

tion  of  Hernanda  de  Alvarado  to  Pecos.  It  was  on  this  jour- 
ney the  Spaniards  saw  for  the  first  time  the  famous  rock 
pueblo  of  Acoma  and  heard  of  Quivira.  In  the  report  remit- 
ted to  Mexico  and  signed  jointly  by  Padilla  and  Alvarado 
(Third  Vol.  Documentos  de  Indias),  Quivira  (Kansas)  was 
represented  as  a  very  rich  country. 

On  the  return  of  Alvarado  to  Cibola,  Coronado,  taking 
with  him  Father  Padilla  and  twenty-nine  mounted  menr 
started  on  his  now  famous  journey  to  Quivira.  The  party 
crossed  the  Canadian  river,  entered  the  lands  of  the  warlike 
Apaches  and  rode  into  the  great  buffalo  herds  of  the  plains. 
After  sixty-seven  days  of  tortuous  travel  they  crossed  the 
Arkansas,  near  old  Fort  Dodge,  and  entered  the  region  called 
Quivira,  in  northeastern  Kansas,  not  far  from  the  boun- 
dary of  Nebraska.  They  were  now  in  the  land  of  the  Teton 
— Sioux — known  afterwards  to  the  Canadian  trappers  and 
hunters  as  the  "Gens  des  Prairies."  This  was  in  1541.  The 
priest  returned  to  the  Eio  Grande  with  Coronado,  and  when 
the  adventurous  Spaniard  went  back  to  Mexico  with  his 
disheartened  men,  Father  Padilla  and  Father  Juan  de  la 
Cruz  remained  to  instruct  the  tribes  in  Christianity.  With 
them  stayed  a  Portuguese  soldier,  Andres  Docampo,  a  Mes- 
tizo boy,  two  Spanish  assistants,  Lucas  and  Sebastian,  known 
as  "Donados,"  or  missionary  volunteers,  and  two  Aztec 
Indians  from  Mexico. 

From  Bernalillo,  where  they  now  were,  Father  Padilla 
set  out  on  a  missionary  expedition  to  the  Teton-Sioux,  Qui- 
vira, in  the  autumn  of  1542,  leaving  Fray  Luis  with  the  Pecos. 
He  brought  with  him  Docampo,  the  two  Donados  and  the 
half-blood  boy.  He  also  took  along  all  that  was  necessary 
for  offering  up  the  Holy  Sacrifice,  one  horse  and  some  pro- 
visions for  the  trip. 

No  accident  marred  the  romance  of  the  journey  and  they 
safely  arrived  among  the  Teton-Sioux,  by  whom  they  were 
hospitably  received.  After  instructing  the  Indians  of  Qui- 
vira in  the  rudiments  of  religion,  Fray  Padilla,  in  opposition 
to  the  advice  of  the  chiefs  of  the  tribe,  resolved  to  visit  and 


48  THE   CATHOLIC   CHUUCH  IK    UTAH 

preach  to  the  Guyas,  who  were  no  friends  of  the  Tetons.  His 
zeal  overlapped  his  prudence  or  his  knowledge  of  Indian 
customs ;  for  in  those  days  a  missionary  who  dwelt  with  and 
was  regarded  as  a  friend  of  a  tribe  could  not  leave  their 
encampment  to  take  up  his  abode  Avith  an  unfriendly  people 
without  exposing  himself  to  suspicion  and  jealousy.  The  Te- 
tons held  the  friar  in  awesome  reverence  as  a  powerful  sor- 
cerer, whose  incantations,  when  friendly,  meant  prosperity 
to  the  tribe,  and  when  malign,  carried  with  them  sickness  and 
misfortune.  The  more  popular  the  priest  became,  the  more 
dangerous  it  was  for  him  to  leave  the  wigwams  of  his  friends. 

When  the  Spanish  missionary,  contrary  to  the  pleadings 
of  the  Quiviras,  entered  upon  the  trail  leading  to  the  land  of 
the  Guyas — a  Pawnee  sub-tribe — he  unconsciously  shook 
hands  with  a  messenger  of  death,  for  his  friends  believed  he 
was  going  over  to  their  enemy,  and  the  Pawnees  would  look 
upon  him  as  their  foe,  since  he  came  from  a  tribe  with  whom 
they  were  at  war. 

The  Mexican  historian  Mota-Padilla,  who  claimed  to  have 
examined  early  documents  bearing  upon  the  death  of  the 
faithful  missionary,  tells  us  in  his  "Historia  de  la  Nueva 
Galicia,"  that  "the  friar  left  Quivira  with  a  small  escort, 
against  the  will  of  the  Indians  of  that  village,  who  loved  him 
as  their  father.  When  he  had  traveled  for  nearly  a  day  he 
saw  coming  toward  him  Indians  in  their  war  paint,  and,  di- 
vining their  murderous  intention,  he  advised  the  Portuguese, 
who  was  mounted,  to  gallop  off  and  take  with  him  the  Dona- 
dos,  and  the  boy,  who,  being  young,  could  run  away  and 
escape.  As  they  were  unarmed  they  all  did  as  the  Father  ad- 
vised, but  he,  kneeling  down,  offered  up  his  life,  which  he 
surrendered  for  the  salvation  of  others.  Thus  he  obtained 
his  most  ardent  wish,  the  blessing  of  martyrdom,  by  the  ar- 
rows of  these  savages,  who,  after  murdering  him,  threw  his 
body  into  a  deep  pit.  The  day  of  his  death  is  not  known, 
although  it  is  considered  certain  that  it  occurred  in  the  year 
1542.  Don  Pedro  de  Tobar,  in  the  documents  he  wrote  with 
his  own  hand  and  left  in  the  City  of  Culiacan,  says  that  the 


THE   CATHOLIC    CHURCH   IM    UTAH  V.) 

Indiaus  went  out  to  kill  this  holy  father  in  order  to  get  pos- 
session of  his  ornaments.  He  also  states  that  there  was  a 
tradition  of  wonderful  signs  accompanying  his  death,  such  as 
great  floods,  balls  of  fire  and  darkening  of  the  sun." 

Such  is  the  account  given  by  Mota-Padilla  of  the  end  of 
the  first  martyr  west  of  the  Missouri.  Eight  or  nine  years 
after  the  murder  of  the  priest,  Andreas  Docampo,  the  two 
Donados — Sebastian  and  Lucas — and  the  half-caste  boy,  com- 
panions of  Father  Padilla  at  Quivira,  entered  Tampico  and 
announced  the  death  of  the  priest. 

After  their  flight  from  Quivira  they  were  captured  by 
the  Conianches  and  held  as  slaves.  When  they  broke  away 
from  their  captors  they  wandered  aimlessly  from  place  to 
place  and  from  tribe  to  tribe.  The  tramp  of  these  unarmed 
and  half-starved  men  from  northeastern  Kansas  to  Tampico, 
Mexico,  would  be  incredible,  if  it  were  not  proved  and  cer- 
tified to  beyond  denial. 

In  all  American  history  there  is  no  parallel  to  this  mar- 
velous journey,  if  we  except  the  extraordinary  and  continu- 
ous wanderings  across  the  continent  from  eastern  Texas  to 
the  Pacific  coast  of  Cabeza  de  Vaca  and  his  miserable  com- 
panions, Maldonada  and  Dorantes,  in  1528-36. 

What  became  of  these  companions  of  Father  Padilla! 
The  Portuguese  soldier,  Andres  Docampo,  is  not  mentioned 
again  in  history.  He  is  heard  of  for  the  last  time  in  Tampico, 
on  the  Gulf  of  Mexico;  Sebastian,  the  Donado,  who  was  a 
native  of  Mechuacan,  Mexico,  went  to  Culiacan,  Sinaloa,  and 
died  there ;  Lucas,  the  other  Donado,  became  a  catechist  with 
the  Zacateca  Indians,  and  lived  to  an  advanced  age. 

The  grave  of  Father  Padilla,  like  that  of  Moses,  the  Jew- 
ish lawgiver,  was  never  found.  He  was,  with  Pedro  de  Tobar, 
the  first  white  man  to  enter  the  Zuni  and  Moqui  villages  and 
make  known  the  existence  of  the  Rock  of  Acoma  and  the  Pe- 
cos towns.  With  Coronado  he  was  the  first  of  white  men  to 
see  the  Arkansas,  which  he  crossed  on  June  29,  1541,  and 
called  it  the  River  of  SS.  Peter  and  Paul — a  name  which  it 
still  bears  on  the  old  maps  of  Nueva  Galicia,  or  north  and 
northwestern  Mexico. 


CHAPTER  III. 

EARLY  EXPEDITIONS  OF  THE  SPANIARDS. 

The  Ruis  Expedition  of  1581 — Flight  of  the  Soldiers — Mur- 
der of  the  Priest  Santa  Maria — Death  of  Father  Lopez — 
Espejo  to  the  Rescue — Arrives  in  the  Villages  of  the  Te- 
quans — Return  of  the  Party — Onale  Organizes  His  Ex- 
pedition— For  %Zuni  by  the  Rio  Grande — Building  of 
First  Church  in  New  Mexico — Exploring  the  Colorado — 
Founding  of  Santa  Fe,  1606 — Opening  of  Missions 
Among  the  Zunis — Building  of  Churches. 

The  failure  of  Coronado's  expedition  and  the  dishearten- 
ing tales  told  by  his  sun-scorched  and  half -famished  compan- 
ions on  the  streets  of  Cnliacan  and  Mexico,  discouraged,  for 
a  time,  further  explorations  in  northern  regions.  Where  the 
spirit  of  adventure  hesitated,  that  of  zeal  for  the  conversion 
of  the  northern  tribes  stimulated  the  priests  of  the  Francis- 
can order  in  Chihuahua  to  ambitious  hopes.  Their  zeal  deep- 
ened into  a  decisive  enthusiasm,  and  early  in  1581  the  Fran- 
ciscans organized  an  expedition  of  exploration  and  conver- 
sion. 

On  the  morning  of  September  9,  1581,  immediately  after 
the  Benediction  following  the  Mass  of  the  Holy  Ghost,  two 
priests,  Francisco  Lopez  and  Fray  de  Santa  Maria,  a  lay 
brother,  Augustin  Ruis  by  name,  and  twelve  soldiers  left  the 
town  of  Santa  Barbara,  Southern  Chihuahua,  on  foot,  and 
entered  upon  their  adventurous  and  perilous  journey  into 
practically  unknown  lands  and  among  unfamiliar  hordes  of 
barbarous  and  savage  men.  For  eight  hundred  miles,  cross- 
ing bridgeless  streams,  scaling  pathless  mountains  and 
through  wastes  of  arid  sand,  the  daring  adventurers  held  the 
pace,  and  at  last  entered  the  pueblo  lands  of  the  Tiguas,  in 
northeastern  New  Mexico.  As  the  little  party  advanced  to- 
wards Taos,  the  escort  of  twelve  sodiers,  terrified  by  a  num- 


THE    CATHOLIC    CHUKCH   IN   UTAH  51 

ber  of  approaching  Zuni  Indians,  took  fright,  and,  deserting 
the  Fathers,  made  their  way  back  to  Chihuahua. 

The  priests  were  hospitably  received,  and  were  permitted 
to  go  from  village  to  village  instructing  the  people  and  teach- 
ing the  children.  Encouraged  by  the  success  of  their  mis- 
sion; Fray  de  Santa  Maria,  heartened  by  his  companions,  left 
for  Chihuahua  to  ask  for  additional  priestly  assistance  on  the 
Zuni  mission.  On  the  afternoon  of  the  third  day  of  his  home- 
ward journey  he  was  murdered  on  the  desert  by  roaming 
Tiguas,  who,  after  stripping  the  body,  left  it  to  be  devoured 
by  coyotes,  or,  according  to  the  Zarate  Salmeron,  „  burned 
the  corpse  and  buried  the  ashes. 

The  two  companions  of  the  murdered  priest,  unconscious 
of  their  brother's  fate,  continued  instructing  the  Zuni  in  de- 
cency and  clean  living.  It  is  possible  the  morality  which 
they  preached  did  not  harmonize  with  the  Zuni  sense  of  grat- 
ification, for  when  Father  Lopez  was  one  day  praying  under 
a  friendly  tree,  he  was  clubbed  to  death.  His  sole  compan- 
ion, Brother  Augustin,  gave  his  body  sepulture;  but  when 
Augustin,  a  few  days  after  burying  the  priest  was  himself 
brained  with  a  "macana" — a  war  club, — his  body  was  flung 
into  the  river.  Thus  ended  the  hopes  and  the  lives  of  these 
priestly  men  of  exemplary  courage. 

When  the  scoundrely  soldiers,  who  had  abandoned  the 
priests  to  their  fate,  found  their  way  back  to  Santa  Barbara, 
they  pleaded  the  law  of  self-preservation  and  justified  their 
desertion  on  the  grounds  of  imminent  danger  to  their  own 
Jives  from  the  hostility  and  number  of  the  natives.  Indignant 
at  the  cowardice  and  conduct  of  the  deserters,  and  fear- 
ing for  the  lives  of  the  men  of  God,  Don  Antonio  de  Espejo, 
a  wealthy  Spaniard,  at  once  sent  out  a  call  for  men  and 
organized  his  famous  rescue  party  to  the  Zuni  lands. 

He  left  the  town  of  San  Bartolome,  Chihuahua,  on  the 
10th  of  November,  1582,  with  Father  Bernardino  Beltram, 
chaplain  to  the  company  of  one  hundred  and  fifteen  men,  and 
forged  his  way  through  the  rancherias  of  the  Conchos,  the 
Passaquates,  and  entered  the  encampments  of  the  Tobosos, 


52  THE   CATHOLIC   CHURCH  IN   UTAH 

who  scattered  to  the  mountains  when  they  saw  the  Span- 
iards and  their  horses. 

Following  up  the  Rio  Grande,  the  expedition  at  last. 
reached  the  homes  of  the  Tiguas,  which,  much  to  the  surprise 
of  Espejo  and  Baltram,  were  standing  tenantless.  The  Ti- 
guans,  anticipating  the  revenge  of  the  Spaniards  for  the 
slaughter  of  the  priests,  ran  for  cover  to  the  mountains,  leav- 
ing in  their  villages  a  few  helpless  old  men  and  women. 
From  these  Espejo  received  confirmation  of  the  death  of  the. 
priests.  After  a  tour  of  exploration  the  Spanish  commander 
gave  to  the  land  the  name  of  New  Mexico,  struck  the  trail 
for  home,  and  arrived  at  San  Bartolome,  July,  1583. 

In  1596  Juan  de  Onate,  intending  to  colonize  New  Mex- 
ico, set  out  for  the  City  of  Mexico  with  four  hundred  soldiers,, 
one  hundred  married  men  with  their  families  and  a  contin- 
gent of  friendly  Mexican  Indians.  With  him  went  eight  Fran- 
ciscan priests  who  had  volunteered  their  services  to  open  mis- 
sions in  the  land  and  minister  to  the  colonists.  After  a  fa- 
tiguing and  harassing  march  of  many  months,  Onate  and  his. 
followers  finally  arrived  at  the  pueblo  of  Puaray  of  the  Zuni 
on  the  Rio  Grande.  "Here,"  writes  Marcelino  Civezza,  "a, 
solemn  Mass  was  celebrated,  a  sermon  preached,  the  Cross  of* 
Christ  planted,  and  with  religious  and  royal  rites  New  Mex- 
ico was  claimed  for  the  Spanish  crown." 

It  is  impossible  to  define  the  boundaries  of  the  New  Mex- 
ico of  the  early  Spaniards.  It  probably  included  by  the  term,, 
New  Mexico,  parts  of  Colorado,  Kansas,  Utah  and  all  north- 
ern Arizona. 

"On  the  23d  of  August,  1598,"  writes  Gilmary  Shea,  in 
his  sketch  of  the  Spanish  missions  in  the  United  States,  "the; 
erection  of  the  first  church  in  New  Mexico  was  begun,  and  on 
the  7th  of  September  was  opened  for  divine  service.  The; 
next  day,  the  Feast  of  the  Nativity  of  Our  Lady,  this  church 
was  dedicated  under  the  name  of  St.  John  the  Baptist,  the 
Father  Commissary,  Alonzo  Martinez,  blessing  it  and  conse- 
crating the  altars  and  chalices.    Father  Christopher  ;Salazar 


THE    CATHOLIC    CHURCH   IN   UTAH  53 

preached  the  sermon,  and  the  day  closed  with  a  general 
rejoicing." 

This  humble  church  was  the  first  temple  consecrated  to 
God  within  the  present  limits  of  the  United  States,  and 
marks  an  epoch  in  the  missionary  life  of  our  country.  But 
the  date  of  the  beginning  of  missionary  labor  among  the 
tribes  opens  with  the  visit  of  the  two  priests,  Juan  de  la  As- 
cuncion  and  Pedro  Nadal,  to  the  Maricopas  on  the  Gila, 
southern  Arizona,  in  1538. 

The  practical  and  permanent  evangelization  of  the  tribes 
was  now  begun  by  the  allotment  of  the  Fathers  to  the  neigh- 
boring pueblos,  and  the  systematic  organization  of  the  priests 
into  an  active  missionary  body,  subject  to  the  orders  of  the 
local  superior,  Father  Alonzo  Martinez. 

On  October  7,  1604,  Juan  de  Onate,  general  in  command, 
and  Fathers  San  Buenaventura  and  Escobar,  led  an  explor- 
ing and  conciliatory  expedition  down  the  Colorado  river. 
They  paid  a  friendly  visit  on  the  way  to  the  Zuni  towns,  near 
the  headwaters  of  the  Rio  Grande,  and,  fording  the  Puerco, 
passed  into  the  Moqui  pueblos.  Swinging  to  the  west,  they 
crossed  the  Colorado  Chiquito  at  a  place  afterwards  called 
the  San  Jose,  and,  continuing  their  march,  veered  to  the 
north,  passing  near  the  site  of  the  present  city  of  Prescott, 
Ariz.,  through  a  region  traversed  by  Don  Antonio  Espejo 
and  Fray  Bernardino  Beltram  nearly  a  quarter  of  a  century 
before. 

They  now  entered  the  lands  of  the  Mohaves  and  the 
Yuman  tribes  near  the  Gila,  swam  the  Gila  and,  facing  to  the 
south,"  marched  through  the  delta  of  the  Colorado  and 
stopped  on  the  shore  of  the  North  Sea,  now  the  Gulf  of  Cali- 
fornia. Here  they  raised  a  huge  cross,  hanging  on  it  the 
coat  of  arms  of  Philip  IV  of  Spain,  and  took  possession  of 
the  country  in  the  name  of  the  Spanish  sovereign.  This  was 
on  January  25,  1605,  and  as  it  happened  to  be  marked,  in  the 
Roman  calendar,  the  feast  of  the  Conversion  of  St.  Paul, 
they  declared  that  the  day  should  henceforth  be  commemo- 
rated as  an  annual  and  patronal  festival  for  New  Mexico. 


54  THE   CATHOLIC   CHURCH  IN   UTAH 

Returning  from  his  explorations,  Onate,  in  1606,  founded 
the  city  of  Santa  Fe — City  of  Our  Holy  Faith —  and  built 
the  Church  of  San  Miguel,  afterwards  destroyed  in  the  In- 
dian uprising  of  1680. 

In  1645  missions  had  already  been  opened,  schools  built 
and  churches  erected  in  forty-six  Christianized  pueblo  towns 
of  New  Mexico.  "Even  in  161.7,"  writes  Charles  F.  Lummis, 
in  "The  Spanish  Pioneers,"  "there  were  already  eleven 
churches  in  use  in  New  Mexico.  Santa  Fe  was  the  only  Span- 
ish town;  but  there  were  also  churches  at  the  dangerous  In- 
dian pueblos  of  Galisteo  and  Pecos,  two  at  Jemes,  San  Ilde- 
fonso,  Santa  Clara,  Sandia,  San  Felipe  and  San  Domingo.  It 
was  a  wonderful  achievement  for  each  lonely  missionary,  for 
they  had  neither  civil  nor  military  assistance  in  their  par- 
ishes, to  have  induced  his  barbarous  flock  to  build  a  big 
stone  church  and  to  worship  the  new  white  God. ' ' 


CHAPIER  IV. 

MASSACRE   OF   THE   SPANIARDS  AND     SLAUGHTER     OF     THE     PRIESTS. 

Number  of  Churches  in  1649 — The  Zuni  Conspiracy — Revolt 
of  the  Tribes  and  Massacre  of  the  Spaniards — Slaughter 
of  the  Priests — Capture  of  Santa  Fe — The  "Forlorn 
Hope" — Desperate  Charge  of  the  Spaniards — Stampede 
of  the  Indians — Into  El  Paso — Return  of  Onate  to  Santa 
Fe — Submission  of  the  Tribes — Reconquest  of  New  Mex- 
ico— Population — Human  Sacrifice  —  Exploring  Colo- 
rado. 

The  mission  of  Jemes,  where  dwelt  a  solitary  priest, 
Alonzo  de  Lugo,  was  almost  a  hundred  miles  west  of  Santa 
Fe  and  was  buried  in  a  desolation  of  solitude  and  sand.  Taos, 
where  Father  Zamora  was  stationed,  was  a  miserable  collec- 
tion of  adobe  structures  on  the  Taos  river,  sixty-five  miles 
northeast  of  Sauta  Fe.  At  the  time  that  Father  Zamora 
settled  with  the  Teguas,  the  tribe  was  at  war  with  the  Utes. 
Taos  was  the  mission  of  San  Geronimo;  its  handsome  church 
was  burned  and  its  priest  slaughtered  in  the  Indian  revolt 
of  1680. 

Of  the  forty-six  Christian  pueblos,  mentioned  by  Father 
Velez  de  Escalante  in  his  report,  published  in  Documentes 
-para  la  Historia  de  Mexico,  and  existing  in  1649,  seven  were 
destroyed  by  the  Apaches  who  surrounded  New  Mexico,  ex- 
cept on  the  northwest,  which  was  held  by  the  Utes. 

Reading  the  glowing  reports  of  Gilmary  Shea  and  T.  W. 
Marshall  on  the  prosperous  state  of  the  New  Mexican  mis- 
sions, one  would  be  led  to  conclude  that  these  Indians  were 
as  docile  as  children  and  as  yielding  as  clay  in  the  hands  of 
the  potter.  But,  from  the  very  beginning,  the  Fathers  had 
to  deal  with  a  stiff-necked,  wayward  and  stubborn  people. 
Among  them  were  many  in  every  pueblo  on  whom  the  preach- 
ing, the  self-devotion  and  exemplary  lives  of  the  missionaries 


56  THE   CATHOLIC   CHUECH  IX  UTAH 

had  no  effect.  The  morality  the  Fathers  taught  was  too  ex- 
acting; it  demanded  a  self-denial  and  a  command  of  the 
senses,  even  of  their  thoughts,  opposed  to  their  inherited 
customs,  to  their  traditional  practices,  their  own  inclinations 
and  tribal  usage. 

Even  among  those  who  accepted  the  faith  and  received 
baptism  there  were  some  whose  attachment  to  their  old  su- 
perstitions was  wedded  to  their  admiration  for  the  cere- 
monies of  the  new  faith.  There  were  others  who  covertly 
contended  that  when  they  had  all  accepted  the  religion  of  the 
padres,  the  Spaniards  would  enslave  them  and  brand  them 
as  they  did  their  horses.  Then  sometimes  the  morals  of  the 
Spanish  colonists  and  soldiers  were  not  above  reproach,  their 
examples  did  not  square  with  their  belief,  and  their  treat- 
ment of  the  Indian  at  times  overbearing,  contemptuous  and 
harsh.  Occasionally  some  bold  and  restless  spirit,  chafing 
under  the  discipline  of  the  mission,  or  resenting  the  assumed 
superiority  of  the  Spaniards,  would  break  away  and  return 
to  the  old  life.  These  perverts,  became  mockers  of  the  Chris- 
tian religion,  flippant  critics  of  the  priests,  and  irreconcil- 
able enemies  of  the  Spaniard. 

In  1679,  according  to  the  report  of  Father  Velez  Esca- 
lante,  written  in  1778,  one  of  these  renegades  was  under  cover 
in  the  pueblo  of  Taos,  the  furthest  north  of  the  New  Mexican 
villages.  He  was  known  by  the  peculiar  name  of  Pope  and 
was  a  native  of  the  mission  of  San  Juan,  in  whose  church 
he  was  baptized  when  a  child.  The  Spanish  governor,  Oter- 
min,  ordered  his  arrest  for  crimes  done  against  colonial  and 
pueblo  laws,  and  especially  for  murders  committed,  when, 
with  forty-six  Teguans,  he  raided  a  section  of  the  country 
during  the  administration  of  Governor  Trevino. 

He  must  have  been  a  man  of  large  ability  and  skilled  in 
Indian  cunning  and  strategy.  With  a  number  of  reckless  and 
crafty  companions  he  plotted  a  conspiracy  which  had  for 
its  object  the  destruction  of  the  Christian  missions,  the  burn- 
ing of  Santa  Fe,  and  the  wiping  out  of  the  Spaniards.  In  his 
determination  to  tear  up  the  Spanish  tree,  root  and  branch. 


THE   CATHOLIC    CHURCH   IN   UTAH  57 

he  was  supported  by  all  the  pueblos,  the  Piros  alone  hold- 
ing aloof.  The  uprising  was  fixed  for  the  morning  of  August 
18th;  but,  learning  that  the  Spaniards  held  the  secret,  Pope 
sprang  the  revolt  eight  days  before  the  Spaniards  were  ready 
for  him. 

On  the  evening  of  the  10th  of  August,  three  hundred  and 
eighteen  men,  women  and  children  of  Spanish  blood  were 
dead,  butchered  and  mutilated  by  Taos,  Queres,  Picuries  and 
tribes  of  the  murderous  confederacy. 

And  what  became  of  the  priests?  Eighteen  of  them  were 
slaughtered  with  their  countrymen,  but  with  more  atrocious 
deviltry.  Davis,  in  his  "Conquest  of  New  Mexico,"  tells  us 
that  at  Acoma  the  bodies  of  three  missionaries  were  thrown 
into  a  foul  cave  to  the  north  of  the  pueblo;  that  at  Zuni  the 
corpses  of  three  others  were  left  to  rot  in  a  broiling  sun,  and 
that  at  the  Moqui  pueblos  the  two  priests,  Juan  de  Vallada 
and  Jesus  de  Lombardi,  were  done  to  death  with  clubs." 

"In  this  manner,"  he  continues,  "the  priests  stationed  in 
different  pueblos  were  killed,  mostly  by  their  own  flocks,  for 
whose  spiritual  and  temporal  good  they  had  been  laboring 
for  years." 

The  Spaniards  put  up  a  brave  defense  at  Santa  Fe  when 
Pope  attacked  the  city  with  three  thousand  of  his  fighters. 
Against  them  the  governor,  Otermin,  could  only  throw  one 
hundred  and  fifty  men.  The  Indians  captured  the  town,  driv- 
ing the  Spaniards  into  the  governor's  quarters  and  patio. 
The  besieged  running  short  of  water  and  provisions,  and 
foreseeing  they  must  perish  as  rats  in  a  trap,  formed  the 
heroic  resolve  of  dying  like  men  in  an  open  fight.  The  gov- 
ernor and  the  three  priests  who  were  sharing  their  fate,  ap- 
proved of  the  "forlorn  hope." 

Early  on  the  morning  of  the  20th  of  August  the  half- 
famished  but  desperate  Spaniards  received  Communion,  for 
they  believed  their  last  hour  had  struck.  Then  the  gate  of 
the  governor's  quarters  was  swung  open,  and  Otermin,  at  the 
head  of  his  hundred  fighters,  shouting  the  Castilian  battle 


58  THE   CATHOLIC   CHURCH  IN  UTAH 

cry,  "Santiago,  y  a  ellos — St.  James  and  at  them!"  rushed 
upon  the  foe. 

The  unexpected  attack  and  the  impetuous  onslaught  of 
the  Spaniards  stampeded  the  Indians.  In  their  flight  they 
lost  more  than  three  hundred  of  their  warriors,  and  aban- 
doned the  horses  and  arms  they  had  stolen  from  the  Span- 
iards. The  Spanish  governor  had  five  of  his  men  killed,  and 
carried  to  his  grave  the  scars  of  two  wounds  he  received  in 
the  scrimmage.  Otermin  retreated  to  El  Paso,  leaving  for  a 
time  the  Indians  in  possession  of  Santa  Fe. 

In  this  treacherous  uprising  of  the  natives,  men,  women, 
children  and  babes  at  the  breast  were  ruthlessly  slaughtered. 
They  wrecked  Santa  Fe  with  the  exception  of  the  Casus 
reales  and  the  plaza  held  by  the  Spaniards.  Of  the  hundred 
and  fifty  men  shut  up  in  the  Casa,  but  oue  hundred  were  fit 
to  bear  arms,  and  the  victory  of  these  fighters  over  three 
thousand  Zuni  warriors  is  one  of  the  most  brilliant  feats  of 
arms  recorded  in  the  annals  of  New  Mexico. 

From  1680  to  1795  the  history  of  New  Mexico  is  a  record 
of  thrilling  events.  After  the  retreat  of  the  Spaniards  the 
nine  rebellious  tribes,  the  Tanos,  Teguas,  Pecos,  Queres  and 
the  rest,  quarreled  over  the  possession  of  Santa  Fe  and  the 
right  to  rule  the  country.  Meanwhile  Otermin,  who  had 
established  a  fortified  camp  at  San  Lorenzo,  nine  miles  from 
El  Paso,  had  reinforced  his  command,  and  on  the  18th  of 
November,  1681,  set  out  with  one  hundred  and  fifty  mounted 
men  and  a  detachment  of  friendly  Indians  for  Santa  Fe.  He 
was  accompanied  by  Father  Ayeta  and  the  other  missionaries 
who  had  escaped  the  massacre.  Through  the  influence  of  the 
priests,  the  governor  hoped  to  prevail  upon  the  rebels  to  re- 
turn to  their  allegiance  to  the  Spanish  crown,  and  if  concilia- 
tion failed,  he  was  prepared  to  whip  them  into  subjection. 
With  the  exception  of  a  few  tribes  who  fled  to  the  mountains, 
the  Indians  were  induced  to  submit,  Santa  Fe  was  taken  pos- 
session of  and  reconstructed,  and  the  pueblo  missions  again 
opened. 

The  next  fifteen  years  in  the  life  of  the  country  are  spat- 


THE   CATHOLIC    CHURCH   IN   UTAH  59 

tered  with  blood.  The  Spaniards  were  again  driven  out 
and  again  came  back;  individual  priests  here  and  there  were 
slaughtered  and  others  replaced  them;  missions  were  de- 
stroyed and  rebuilt,  tribes  were  subdued  in  the  south  while 
others  revolted  in  the  north. 

"At  last,"  say  the  "Relaciones"  of  Padre  Zarate  Sal- 
meron,  "seeing  that  their  pueblos  were  coming  to  an  end, 
the  rebels  resolved,  on  the  advice  of  their  medicine-men,  to 
join  together  and  to  offer  in  common  to  the  devil  the  sacrifice 
of  a  young  girl  to  propitiate  the  demon." 

But  the  Bloody  ceremony  failed  to  produce  the  desired 
result;  the  Indians  submitted  to  the  inevitable  and  struck  a 
truce  with  the  Spaniards.  Meanwhile  the  remains  of  the 
martyred  priests  were,  so  far  as  possible,  collected  and  given 
Christian  burial.  From  the  open  prairie,  from  caves,  ash 
heaps  and  the  ruins  of  old  or  burned  buildings,  the  bones  and 
ashes  of  the  devoted  friars  were  gathered  together  and  de- 
cently interred. 

An  old  manuscript  records  that  in  1754  the  governor  of 
New  Mexico,  in  the  company  of  two  missionaries,  visited 
with  his  staff  the  abandoned  pueblos  of  the  Picuries  and 
Queres  to  exhume  the  bones  of  two  venerable  priests  and 
inter  them  in  consecrated  ground.  Led  by  a  grizzled  old 
Indian,  they  found  the  remains  of  Padre  Ascuncion  Zarate 
in  the  debris  of  the  decayed  church  of  San  Lorenzo  of  the 
Picuries,  and  those  of  Fray  Geronimo  de  la  Liana  amid  the 
ruins  of  the  church  at  Quarac.  The  bones  of  Father  Juan 
de  Jesus,  murdered  by  the  Indians  of  Jemes,  were  found  in 
an  old  cave  and  buried  in  Santa  Fe;  but,  of  the  eighteen 
priests  done  to  death  by  the  tribes,  the  mutilated  bodies  of 
nearly  all  were  reduced  to  ashes  or  devoured  by  wild  beasts. 
But  what  matters  it  for  the  bodies  of  the  just  who  are  at 
peace.  "Those  who  sow  in  tears  will  reap  in  joy,  and  their 
names  will  live  from  generation  to  generation." 

The  Spaniards  were  now  (1760)  masters  of  New  Mexico, 
and  outnumbered  the  Indians  by  many  thousands.  The 
sedentary  population,   one  hundred  and  eighty  years  after 


60  THE   CATHOLIC   CHURCH  IN  UTAH 

Onate's  first  attempt  at  colonization,  numbered  25,000;  of 
these  the  Spaniards  counted  16,000  and  the  Indians  9,000. 
With  the  exception  of  an  occasional  raid  from  the  Co- 
manches,  who  were  not  known  in  the  region  until  brought 
in  by  the  Utes,  or  an  attack  now  and  then  by  the  Apaches 
of  the  southwest,  New  Mexico  was  at  peace.  The  pueblo 
Indians  were  converted  to  the  faith  and  cultivated  their 
lands  or  raised  herds  of  sheep  and  cattle  for  the  Santa  Fe 
market. 

The  Spaniards  were  now  free  to  give  some  attention  to 
the  examination  of  the  unexplored  regions  lying  to  the  north 
of  New  Mexico.  The  reader  will  not  fail  to  notice  that  all 
expeditions  of  discovery  and  exploration  were  either  piloted 
or  accompanied  by  Spanish  priests,  and  that  in  many  in- 
stances most  important  explorations  were  undertaken  by  in- 
individual  priests  such  as  Fathers  Kino,  Garces  and  Esca- 
lante.  Under  the  administration  of  Governor  Veles  Cachu- 
pin,  an  exploring  party  was  sent  out  in  1763  to  examine  the 
country  north  of  New  Mexico,  which  is  now  the  state  of 
Colorado.  The  expedition  was  accompanied  by  Father 
Alonzo  Posadas,  who  for  fourteen  years  held  a  position  of 
ecclesiastical  importance  in  New  Mexico.  Returning  after 
an  absence  of  some  months,  the  party  reported  the  discovery 
of  silver  ore  near  the  junction  of  the  Gunnison  and  Com- 
paghre  rivers,  in  Gunnison  County.  Father  Posadas  after- 
wards wrote  the  ' '  Inf orme ' '  or  history  of  this  expedition,  and 
it  is  to  this  "Inf orme"  Escalante  refers  in  the  Diario  of  his 
journey  from  Santa  Fe  to  Utah  Lake. 


CHAPTER  V. 

THE  AMERICAN  INDIAN". 

Failure  to  Account  for  American  Indian — Distribution  of  the 
Tribes — Linguistic  Stocks  and  Tribal  Affinities — Indians 
of  the  St.  Lawrence  Regions,  of  the  Canadian  Northwest 
— Tribes  East  and  West  of  the  Missouri — Sedentary 
Tribes — The  Hunters  and  Rovers — Prohibition  of  Inter- 
marriage in  the  Clan — Religion  of  the  Aborigines — In- 
dian Popidalion  in  1612. 

Before  the  Franciscans  enter  npon  their  explorations 
and  before  we  discnss  the  moral  condition  and  the  domestic 
life  of  the  tribes  to  whom  the  priests  will  introduce  us,  let  us 
rapidly  survey  the  divisions,  subdivisions  and  general  moral 
status  of  the  fierce  and  crafty  race  of  men  who  roamed  over 
the  American  continent  north  of  Mexico,  and  the  remnants 
of  whom  are  to-day  withering  away  on  governmental  reser- 
vations. 

Speculation,  examination,  theory,  investigation  have 
failed  to  account  for  the  original  habitat  of  the  American 
Indians.  We  know  nothing  of  their  past,  when  or  how  their 
forbears  came  to  this  continent.  What  we  know  of  them  is 
what  we  have  learned  from  the  French  and  Spanish  priests 
who  began  to  mingle  with  and  dwell  among  them  immediately 
after  the  discovery  of  America.  Contact  with  them  in  more 
recent  times  has  taught  us  nothing.  Their  past  is  impene- 
trable to  the  eye  of  historic  research,  and  the  origin  of  the 
settlement  of  the  Atlantic  and  Pacific  tribes  is  veiled  by  the 
mists  of  unknown  ages. 

Of  the  eight  great  nations  of  savages  and  barbarians, 
divided  into  six  hundred  and  thirty-three  tribes  and  sub- 
tribes,  some  were  in  a  state  of  barbarism  near  to  civilization, 
others  in  a  lower  stage  of  barbarism,  and  many  in  a  condi- 
tion of  savagery  approaching  that  of  offal  animals.     The 


62  THE   CATHOLIC   CHURCH  IN  UTAH 

lowest  tribes  were  those  roaming  the  deserts  and  horrent 
mountains  of  Lower  California,  the  valley  of  the  Columbia 
River,  and  possibly  the  tribes  of  Labrador  and  Hudson's  Bay. 
These  people  were  the  Bedouins  of  the  deserts  and  forests; 
knew  nothing  of  domestic  roots  and  vegetables,  and,  having 
no  settled  life,  depended  for  subsistence  on  hunting  and  fish- 
ing. The  immense  region  of  the  United  States  and  Canada, 
which  to-day  is  yielding  to  the  Japhetic  race  plethoric  wealth 
of  timber  and  minerals,  which  is  broken  up  largely  into  farms 
and  cattle  ranges  was,  at  the  close  of  the  seventeenth  cen- 
tury, an  enormous  forest  flecked  with  deserts  and  mountains 
and  carrying  a  prodigious  variety  of  vegetable  and  animal 
life. 

The  adventurous  traveler,  entering  in  those  early  days 
the  St.  Lawrence  River  and  continuing  his  voyage  westward, 
would  have  on  his  right  and  left  as  he  advanced  sub-tribes 
and  families  of  the  great  hunting  nation,  the  Algonquin.  On 
his  left,  after  passing  the  Esquimaux,  were  the  Bersiamites, 
the  Papinkos,  the  Mistassinis,  the  Montagnais  of  the  Sa- 
gueney  and  the  St.  John  wilderness,  the  Porcupines,  and, 
towards  the  height  of  land  looking  to  the  Hudson  Bay,  the 
Attikamegues,  or  the  family  of  the  White  Fish. 

Ascending  the  Ottawa,  a  tributary  of  the  St.  Lawrence, 
were  the  hunting  grounds  of  the  Cheveux-Releves  or  men  of 
the  standing  hair,  the  Iroquets  or  island  people;  veering  to 
the  north  on  the  eastern  and  northern  coasts  of  Lakes  Huron 
and  Superior  were  the  Petuns  or  Tobacco  people,  the  Hurons, 
the  Amikoues  or  Beavers,  the  Nippisings  or  Sorcerers,  the 
Wyandottes,  the  Temaagami,  the  Temiscomings,  the  Abittibi, 
the  Chippewas  or  Sauteurs.  Northward  still  of  Lake  Supe- 
rior, and  rising  towards  the  Great  Slave  Lake,  were  the  As- 
siniboines  and  the  Crees,  the  buffalo  hunters. 

On  the  southwestern  bank  of  the  St.  Lawrence,  the  trav- 
eler, on  entering  the  river,  would  have  on  his  right  the  Gas- 
pians,  who  claimed  the  ownership  of  splendid  meadow  lands 
and  splendid  virgin  forests,  then,  the  Etchmins,  the  Micmacs 
and  the  Abenaki.     Advancing  westward  he  skirted  what  are 


THE   CATHOLIC    CHURCH   IN  UTAH  63 

now  the  eastern  states  of  the  Union  and,  crossing  into  New 
York  state,  he  enters  the  preserves  of  the  dreaded  Iroquois, 
the  generic  name  for  the  confederated  tribes,  the  Mohawks, 
Oneidas,  Senecas,  Cayugas  and  the  Onondagas. 

On  the  northern  and  southern  shores  of  Lake  Erie  dwelt 
the  Attiwandarons  or  Neutrals,  and  the  Eries,  or  Nation  of 
the  Raccoon.  West  of  the  Eries  were  the  Miami  and  to  the 
■south  of  Lake  Michigan  the  Ulini  or  Illinois ;  then  in  the  im- 
mense forests  and  prairies  south  and  west  of  the  Great  Lakes 
were  the  Mascoutins,  or  Nation  of  Fire,  the  Puants,  the 
Folles-Avoines  or  Wild-Oats,  the  Renards  or  Foxes,  the 
the  Pattawatomies,  the  Sioux  and  the  Menominis. 

All  these  tribes,  with  their  sub-tribes,  sprang  from  an  Al- 
gonquin or  Huron-Iroquois  trunk,  and  their  languages  with 
dialectic  variations  would  indicate  the  racial  stock  from 
which  they  sprang. 

As  we  advance  towards  and  cross  the  Missouri  river,  we 
enter  the  lands  of  the  Dacotahs  and  their  offshoots,  the  Mis- 
souris,  Poncas,  lowas,  Kaws,  Sioux,  Omahas  and  Otoes,  with 
their  tribal  divisions.  On  the  upper  Missouri  were  Catlin's 
Mandans  and  Minnetarees,  having  no  tribal  affinity  with  any 
known  Indian  race,  and  whose  language  bore  no  resemblance 
to  that  of  any  other  people. 

In  grouping  the  North  American  Indians  and  separating 
them  into  affinities  by  similarity  of  language,  John  Fiske  and 
Major  Powell  classify  the  Pawnees  with  the  Arickarees  of 
the  Platte  drainage  and  a  few  minor  tribal  families  as  a  dis- 
tinct people. 

The  Choctaws,  Chickasaws,  Creeks  and  Cherokees,  now 
on  the  Oklahoma  reservations,  with  the  Muskhogees  and 
Seminoles  formed  a  group  by  themselves  and  spoke  a  radical 
language  of  their  own,  differing  only  in  family  patois.  When 
we  enter  the  Rocky  Mountain  region,  we  come  in  contact  with 
the  Cheyennes,  Comanches  and  roving  tribes  of  the  Sioux  and 
Apaches,  who  had  strayed  away  from  their  own  territories. 

In  Colorado,  Utah  and  Idaho,  the  Bannocks,  Shoshones 


64  THE   CATHOLIC   CHURCH  IN  UTAH 

and  Utes  roamed  in  the  lowest  state  of  barbarism,  and  are 
classified  by  some  ethnologists  as  one  great  and  separate 
family. 

Advancing  towards  the  Canadian  boundary,  we  enter  the 
hunting  grounds  of  the  Selish  Nation,  commonly  called  Flat- 
Heads.  The  land  of  the  Flat-Heads  was  that  part  of  Mon- 
tana lying  west  of  and  near  to  the  base  of  the  main  range  of 
the  Rocky  Mountains.  In  northern  Montana  roamed  the 
Black-Feet,  and  around  them  dwelt  nine  other  tribes,  includ- 
ing the  Spokanes,  the  Coeur  d'Alenes,  the  Kalispels,  the  Nez. 
Perces,  Pends  d'Oreilles  and  the  Crows. 

Descending  to  the  Pacific  coast  line,  an  altogether  differ- 
ent class  of  people — saving  the  intrusive  Apache  and  Apache 
Navajo — possessed  the  deserts,  the  river  depressions  and  the 
Colorado  delta.  With  these  the  reader  is  already  partially 
familiar,  and  they  will  not  now  detain  us. 

The  Indians  of  the  United  States  and  Canada,  at  the  time 
of  which  we  write,  were  separated  by  their  mode  of  living 
into  two  national  divisions.  These  were  the  sedentaries  liv- 
ing in  villages  like  the  Hurons,  or  forming  a  confederacy 
like  the  Iroquois,  who  practised  a  rude  horticulture  and 
stored  Indian  corn  and  beans  for  the  winter  months,  and  the 
hunters  and  fishers,  rovers  of  the  forest  and  the  plain,  like 
the  Algonquin  and  Dacotah.  The  sedentary  races  raised 
Indian  corn,  pumpkins  and  tobacco.  Corn,  supplemented  by 
fish  and  the  flesh  of  wild  animals,  was  their  only  food.  They 
knew  nothing  of  alcoholic  drinks,  bread,  salt,  pepper  or  vege- 
tables. 

A  remarkable  fact,  which  seems  to  prove  that  the  Ameri- 
can savage  was  familiar  with  the  disastrous  effects  of  mar- 
riage between  blood  relations,  or  of  inbreeding,  was  that  no 
warrior  ever  took  a  wife  from  the  members  of  his  own  clan. 
The  men  and  women  of  the  clan  were  nearly  all,  by  consan- 
guinity, related  to  one  another.  Immemorial  tribal  law 
barred  their  marriage.  The  man  or  woman  selected  a  part- 
ner from  another  clan  of  his  own  tribe,  and  the  children  of 
the  marriage  belonged  to  the  clan  of  the  mother.     The  chil- 


THE   CATHOLIC    CHURCH   IN   UTAH  65 

dren  did  not  inherit  from  the  father;  all  his  property,  even 
his  weapons,  descending  by  right  to  his  brothers  or  to  the 
sons  of  his  sisters.  The  children  inherited  from  the  mother. 
And  the  reason  for  this  custom  was  that  there  could  be  no 
doubt  who  was  the  mother  of  the  child;  but,  such  was  the 
'ooseness  of  morals  among  the  Indians,  the  husband  might 
not  always  be  the  father. 

The  religion  of  all  the  Indians  was  a  stew  of  ridiculous 
fables,  of  absurd  superstitions  and,  very  often,  of  obscure 
and  cruel  rites.  Every  nation  had  its  own  divinities,  which 
It  evolved  from  animate  or  inanimate  things  in  the  water,  in 
the  air  or  on  the  earth. 

The  Algonquins  worshiped  the  Great  Hare,  the  sun  and 
evil  spirits,  which  they  called  Manitous.  The  Iroquois,  the 
Attiwandarons  and  the  Hurons  peopled  the  universe  with 
demons  known  as  Okis.  The  Iroquois  sacrificed  human  be- 
ings to  their  wargod;  Ariskoni;  the  Pawnees  slaughtered 
young  girls  as  an  offering  to  the  sun,  and  the  Tanos  and 
southern  tribes,  when  in  dire  straits,  offered  young  girls  in 
sacrifice  to  their  tutelary  demons. 

The  spirits  of  the  air  dwelt  with  thunder,  lightning,  the 
moon,  eclipses,  hurricanes,  or  in  whatever  was  unusual  and 
carried  fear  to  their  hearts. 

Eattlesnakes  and  other  venomous  reptiles,  certain  ani- 
mals and,  with  some,  the  bear,  the  coyote  and  the  beaver, 
because  of  their  superior  intelligence,  were  held  in  reverence 
and  offerings  made  them  to  retain  their  friendship  and  good 
will.  Many  tribes  believed  that  the  sky  was  inhabited  by  a 
great  and  powerful  being,  who  arranged  the  seasons,  con- 
trolled the  winds  and  the  waves  and  was  able  to  help  man 
when  he  was  encompassed  with  danger.  At  times  they 
offered  to  their  divinities,  particularly  to  the  heavenly  ele- 
ments and  the  spirits  dwelling  in  them,  either  to  invoke  their 
good  will  in  some  enterprise  or  to  placate  them,  gifts  of  to- 
Ibaceo  or  weapons  which  they  cast  into  water  or  fire. 

Belief  in  the  immortality  of  the  soul  was  universal  among 
the  tribes,  with  the  solitary  exception  of  the  Peorian  Illi- 


66  THE  CATHOLIC  CHUBCH  IX  UTAH 

nois,  who  believed  that  soul  and  body  expired  at  the  same 
time. 

They  pushed  their  belief  in  immortality  to  its  limit,  for 
they  accorded  life  after  death  to  all  animals,  and  in  some 
instances  to  inorganic  things. 

It  is  impossible  to  state,  with  any  approach  to  accuracy,, 
what  was  the  population  of  North  America,  excluding  Mexico,, 
when  Champlain  entered  the  St.  Lawrence  in  1612.  To  judge 
from  the  number  of  tribes,  we  might  quite  naturally  assume 
the  population  to  be  numerous  if  not  dense.  We  must,  how- 
ever, remember  that  a  people  who  depend  for  subsistence  on 
the  chase  must,  in  order  to  live,  have  immense  territory. 
Figures  compiled  with  great  care  by  the  Canadian  historian,, 
Garneau,  represented  the  probable  population  of  Canada,  at 
the  time  Jacques  Cartier,  in  1534,  discovered  the  Dominion^ 
to  be  anywhere  from  two  hundred  to  two  hundred  and  fifty 
thousand.  Assuming  the  Indians  of  the  territory  of  the 
United  States  to  be,  at  that  date,  about  the  same,  we  would 
have  a  native  population  of  about  five  hundred  thousand. 

Of  the  120,000  Indians  in  the  United  States  to-day,  only 
60,000  are  full-blooded,  and  the  same  proportion  of  half  or 
quarter-bloods  in  the  Canadian  population  of  110,000  would 
not  be  very  far  away  from  that  of  the  United  States. 


CHAPTER  VI. 

DEBASEMENT  OF  THE  TRIBES. 

Moral  Debasement  of  the  Tribes — The  Man  of  Nature — In- 
human Hard-Heartedness — Without  Religion,  Without 
Morality — No  Word  for  Virtue,  Religion,  Charity — 
Degradation  of  Woman — Her  Position  in  the  Camp — 
Savages'  Contempt  for  Sanctity  of  Life — Treatment  of 
Prisoners — Human  Flesh  Eaters — Phantom  Gods. 

The  moral  debasement  of  the  tribes  was  something  ap- 
palling. A  frightful  heirloom  of  entailed  and  indefeasible 
accursedness  in  association  with  senseless  ignorance  and  bru- 
tal customs,  was  the  only  inheritance  to  which  they  could 
look  forward.  All  their  lives  the  victims  of  unrestrained 
and  brutal  passions,  that  opened  wide  the  door  to  every 
species  of  hard-heartedness  and  every  degree  of  cruelty,  their 
regeneration  could  never  have  come  from  themselves  and 
could  only  be  effected  by  civilized  men  dowered  with  tireless 
patience,  with  heroic  and  apostolic  courage. 

The  insatiable  and  loathsome  cruelty  to  their  fellow-men 
in  war,  the  ineradicable  ignorance  and  hideous  superstitions 
which  overshadowed  the  land  and  its  people,  were  calculated 
to  awe  the  stoutest  hearts  that  dared  their  redemption. 

The  human  types  of  Indian  innocence,  of  purity  and  gen- 
eral loveliness  with  which  we  have  grown  familiar  in  the 
sympathetic  poems  of  Mrs.  Sigourney  and  the  romantic  nov- 
els of  James  Fenimore  Cooper  were  vagaries  of  the  imagina- 
tion and  dreams  of  the  enthusiast.  The  nearer  we  come  to 
the  man  of  nature  the  more  likely  are  we  to  find  the  savage 
brute  who  eats  raw  meat  and  the  flesh  of  his  human  foe,  who 
loves  dirt,  wears  no  clothes,  wallows  in  nastiness  and  inde- 
cency and  tyrannizes  over  helpless  woman  because  she  is 
helpless.    A  savage  is  a  savage,  and  the  American  Indian  de- 


68  THE  CATHOLIC  CHURCH  IN  UTAH 

scended  no  lower  in  the  scale  of  degradation  than  did  the 
negroes  of  equatorial  Africa  or  the  Bushman  of  Australia. 

If  now,  when  we  move  amid  the  green  mounds  which  mark 
their  graves,  or  with  curious  eye  inspect  their  rude  trinkets 
and  only  treasures — the  pottery,  the  arrow-head  and  the  wam- 
pum— the  soft  sadness  of  pity  steals  over  us,  we  must  not 
forget  that  their  inhuman  hard-heartedness  was  unsurpassed 
in  the  history  of  our  fallen  humanity.  The  human  tiger,  the 
human  fox,  the  human  hyena,  the  human  snake  were  species 
quite  common  among  them,  as  among  savages  the  world  over, 
civilized  or  uncivilized. 

God  deliver  us  from  the  man  of  nature  or  of  civilized  so- 
ciety, unchecked  by  fear  of  punishment,  unrepressed  by  the 
weight  of  law  and  order,  unrestrained  by  social  amenities, 
unawed  by  the  gospel  of  the  hereafter. 

There  is  a  subtle  connection  between  cruelty  and  lust 
which  no  metaphysical  inquiry  has  yet  satisfactorily  ex- 
plained, hence  we  are  not  surprised  to  read  that  the  Ameri- 
can Indian  had  no  conception  of  morality  even  in  the  ab- 
stract. A  people  without  religion  are  a  people  without  mo- 
rality. In  truth,  until  the  coming  among  them  of  priests  of 
the  Catholic  Church  they  had  no  word  to  give  expression  to 
the  idea  of  virtue,  morals,  religion,  charity,,  gratitude  and 
the  like. 

"They  live  in  common,"  writes  John  Megapolensis,  in  his 
"Short  Account  of  the  Mohawk  Indians,  1664,"  "without 
marriage;  but  if  any  of  them  have  wives,  the  marriage  con- 
tinues no  longer  than  they  think  proper,  and  then  they  sepa- 
rate and  each  takes  another  partner. ' ' 

This  was  written  of  a  tribe  in  the  middle  state  of  barbar- 
ism and  which  had  not  yet  descended  to  savagery. 

The  Jesuit  Father,  Paul  Ragueneau,  wrote  to  his  Superior 
in  France  that  "Morality  is  unknown  among  the  tribes,  and 
everywhere  a  shocking  license  of  unrestrained  intercourse 
obtains.". 

Among  a  people  who  had  no  regard  for  morality  of  any 
kind,  it  was  not  to  be  expected  that  any  respect  would  ob- 


THE   CATHOLIC    CHUECH   IN   UTAH  69 

tain  for  the  sanctity  of  a  woman's  nature.  Woman  was 
harshly  dealt  with,  and  among  all  was  treated  with  a  callous 
disregard  for  the  weakness  of  her  sex.  Affrighted  man  re- 
coils with  horror  from  the  perusal  of  woman's  degradation  as 
penned  by  the  eloquent  Le  Jeune.  The  honor  and  heart  of 
man  may  never  be  impeached  with  meaner  or  fouler  crimes 
than  are  there  recorded.  All  the  menial  drudgery  of  the 
camp,  the  heavy  burdens  of  the  chase,  the  slavery  of  the  corn 
field — in  a  word,  all  that  implied  laborious  work,  was  her 
allotted  portion.  Her  infirmities  excited  no  commiseration; 
with  the  crippled,  maimed  and  weak  she  was  more  often  a 
victim  of  contempt  than  an  object  of  pity.  Is  it  any  wonder, 
then,  that  woman  became  so  utterly  shameless,  hard-hearted 
and  cruel  that  in  vindictiveness  and  fierceness  she  surpassed 
the  brutality  of  man? 

The  crowning  infamy  of  all  the  abominations  of  the  Amer- 
ican Indian — and  of  savage  man  everywhere — was  his  utter 
contempt  and  disregard  for  human  life.  Savage  as  he  was 
by  inheritance,  and  brutal  as  his  passions  had  made  him,  it 
was  still  to  be  assumed  that  the  instinct  which  moves  one  ani- 
mal to  spare  another  of  its  own  species  would  have  lingered 
amid  the  wreck  and  ruin  of  his  corrupted  nature.  Such,  how- 
ever, was  not  the  case.  The  most  trivial  incident  or  a  thirst 
for  blood,  at  times,  led  to  a  war  which  often  ended  in  the  dis- 
persion or  annihilation  of  a  tribe. 

Frequently,  and  for  no  other  end  than  acquiring  renown 
or  scalps,  the  Indian  warrior  gathered  his  braves  around  him 
and,  after  haranguing  them  on  his  own  past  and  prospective 
exploits,  raised  the  familiar  war-whoop  and  moved  out  to  a 
mission  of  bloodshed  and  pillage.  With  the  cunning  of  the 
fox  and  the  ferocity  of  the  tiger,  they  fell  upon  their  prey  in 
the  darkness  of  night  or  the  dawning  morning,  and  indis- 
criminately slaughtered  men,  women  and  children. 

"They  approached  like  foxes,"  says  Father  Vimont,  "at- 
tacked like  lions,  and  disappeared  like  birds. ' ' 

"I  crept  around  them  like  a  wolf,"  said  a  Chippewa  chief, 
telling  of  an  attack  he  made  on  an  isolated  Sioux  family,  "I 


70  THE   CATHOLIC   CHURCH  IN  UTAH 


crawled  up  to  them  like  a  snake ;  I  fell  upon  them  like  light- 
ning; I  cut  them  down  and  scalped  them." 

Their  prisoners  were  treated  with  unparalleled  fiendish- 
ness  and  brutality.  Some  were  mutilated  inch  by  inch  till 
they  expired  from  physical  pain  and  extreme  suffering. 
Others  were  reserved  to  be  tortured  by  fire,  and,  by  a  refine- 
ment of  cruelty  surpassing  belief,  their  agonies  were  pro- 
longed from  sunset  to  sunrise.  Others  of  their  captives  they 
cut  to  pieces,  boiled  and  devoured  with  unspeakable  relish. 

Father  Bressani,  who  was  captured  by  the  Senecas,  and 
shockingly  mutilated  before  he  was  purchased  by  the  Dutch 
of  the  Hudson,  tells  us  in  his  ''Relation  Abregee"  of  his 
captivity:  "I  saw  the  Iroquois  tear  out  the  heart  from  a 
Huron  captive  whom  they  had  killed,  and  in  the  presence  of 
the  other  prisoners,  roast  and  devour  it." 

"They  are  not  men,"  wrote  an  unfortunate  woman  whose 
child  the  Iroquois  had  torn  from  her  breast,  boiled  and  de- 
voured in  her  presence,  "they  are  wolves." 

The  American  Indian  in  his  savage  state  set  no  value  on 
the  attributes  which  distinguished  him  from  the  wild  beasts 
of  the  forest.  Ferocity  in  war,  strength,  agility  and  endur- 
ance alone  excited  his  admiration,  and,  as  a  result,  many  of 
them  approached  as  near  as  it  was  possible  to  the  condition 
of  the  animals  in  which  these  qualities  predominate. 

To  attempt  to  make  a  hero  of  the  American  Indian  is  to 
raise  a  monument  to  cruelty  on  a  pedestal  of  lust.  Their  re- 
ligious conceptions  and  practices  were  no  higher  than  their 
moral  actions.  They  believed  all  things  to  be  animated  with 
good  or  evil  spirits;  and,  when  on  the  war  trail,  they  often 
sacrificed  human  beings  to  propitiate  the  spirits  which  influ- 
enced the  future  of  the  tribe. 

"On  the  third  day  of  my  captivity,"  writes  Father 
Jogues,  "they  sacrificed  an  Algonquin  woman  in  honor  of 
Areskoui,  their  war-god,  inviting  the  grim  demon,  as  if  he 
were  present,  to  come  and  feast  with  them  on  the  murdered 
woman's  flesh." 


THE   CATHOLIC    CHURCH   IN   UTAH  71 

They  had  no  idea  of  God,  as  we  understand  the  tremend- 
ous word.  The  sighing  of  the  winds,  the  melancholy  moan 
of  the  midnight  forest,  the  crash  of  thunder,  the  gleam  of 
lightning,  the  rush  of  the  hurricane  and  the  sound  of  the 
cataract  were  the  voices  of  the  shadowy  phantoms  or  gloomy 
spirits  which  haunted  the  woods  or  hovered  in  the  air  around. 


CHAPTER  VII. 

TRAITS  OP  INDIAN  CHARACTER. 

Some  Redeeming  Features — Tribal  Hospitality  and  Gener- 
osity— Ferocity    to    an    Enemy — Appalling    Cruelty — 
Frightful  Torture  of    a  Foe — Spartan  Stoicism — Rous- 
seau's  "Ideal    Man" — Chateaubriand's    Declaration — 
Final  Submission. 

In  the  vile  abominations  of  their  lives  there  were,  how- 
ever, some  redeeming  features.  The  members  of  the  same 
tribe  were  closely  united  by  bonds  of  friendship ;  they  had  a 
tender  consideration  for  and  exhibited  a  generosity  toward 
each  other  that  was  not  excelled  in  ordinary  civilized  society. 
The  solidarity  between  the  members  of  the  same  clan,  and 
particularly  among  those  of  the  same  family,  was  complete 
and  admirable;  they  bore  themselves  toward  each  other  with 
affection  and  gentleness.  They  were  true  to  one  another  in 
their  friendships,  held  eloquence  in  high  repute,  were  gener- 
ously hospitable,  and,  in  times  of  famine,,  divided  the  morsel 
which  chance  or  the  fortunes  of  the  hunt  cast  in  their  way. 

This  eulogium,  let  it  be  understood,  applied  only  to  mem- 
bers of  the  same  tribe;  for  toward  an  unfriendly  or  hostile 
tribe  of  another  nation  they  were  ruthless.  Treason,  perfi- 
dies, vengeance,  retaliations,  pillage,  unspeakable  cruelties, 
mutilations  and  prolonged  torture  characterized  their  bear- 
ing toward  their  enemies.  Apart  from  the  admirable  tribal 
and  family  affections  just  mentioned,  the  degradation  of 
morals  among  them  was  appalling.  The  universal  libertin- 
ism, the  total  absence  of  all  ideas  of  morality  and  the  hope- 
less entanglement  of  all  in  a  web  of  superstitions  and  multi- 
tudinous puerilities,  made  their  conversion  to  Christianity 
and  civilization  a  herculean  task. 

All  the  tribes,  with  perhaps  the  solitary  exception  of  the 
Hurons,  encouraged  and  practised  simultaneous  polygamy. 


THE   CATHOLIC    CHUKCH  IN   UTAH  73 

The  ambitious  among  them,  and  those  who  aspired  to  leader- 
ship, had  as  many  as  six  and  seven  wives,  believing  that  the 
more  sons  born  to  them  the  greater  would  be  their  power  and 
influence  with  the  people. 

Among  many  tribes  adultery  on  the  part  of  the  wife  was 
a  very  serious  offense.  The  adulterous  woman  was  cruelly 
punished  by  cutting  away  her  nose  and  ears.  Among  the 
Illinois  the  unfaithful  wife  was  put  to  death  by  the  husband. 

In  battle,  the  savage,  animated  with  the  hope  of  victory  or 
in  the  presence  of  inevitable  death,  was  a  brave  man;  with 
the  hope  of  winning  a  victory  for  his  people  and  of  perpetu- 
ating his  name  and  his  prowess,  a  warrior  at  times  deliber- 
ately invited  death.  Jim  Bridger,  the  famous  western  scout, 
repeatedly  stated  that  in  battles  with  the  whites,  or  with  the 
Cheyennes  and  Comanches,  a  Ute  warrior  would  deliberately 
sacrifice  his  life  in  order  to  secure  a  tactical  advantage  by 
which  his  fellow  tribesmen  might  eventually  win  out. 

The  northern  and  western  tribes  encouraged  their  boys  in 
all  that  made  for  strength,  courage,  endurance  and  agility. 
They  were  trained  to  the  hunt,  to  the  use  of  arms,  to  extreme 
caution  when  in  an  enemy's  country,  and  to  stoically  bear  fa- 
tigue, cold,  hunger  and  thirst. 

Father  Bressani,  a  missionary  with  the  tribes  in  1642- 
1649,  gives  us,  in  his  "  Breve  Belatione,"  some  interesting 
details  of  the  training  and  education  of  a  warrior.  "The 
young  men,"  he  tells  us,  "will  at  times  abstain  from  food  for 
ten  or  twelve  days  without  a  murmur  of  complaint.  Littleboys 
will  lock  arms  and,  placing  redhot  coals  on  their  arms,  will 
contest  for  the  palm  of  endurance,  which  one  of  them  can 
endure  the  pain  the  longest.  With  a  bone  needle,  a  sharp 
awl,  or  a  burnt  pine  stick  they  will  trace  or  have  traced  on 
their  bodies  (tattooed)  the  image  of  an  eagle,  a  serpent,  a 
turtle  or  any  favorite  animal.  The  young  man  who,  while 
the  tattooing  lasted,  gave  expression,  by  the  slightest  sign,  to 
the  agony  he  was  enduring,  would  be  regarded  as  a  coward 
and  a  poltroon.  They  never  complained  of  cold,  of  heat,  of 
fatigue  or  of  disease." 


74  THE   CATHOLIC   CHURCH  IN  UTAH 

When  the  young  man  reached  a  warrior's  age,  he  faced 
danger  unflinchingly,  and  defied  death  itself,  with  the  hope  of 
achieving  a  warrior's  reputation.  If  in  defeat  he  fell  into 
the  hands  of  the  enemy,  he  pushed  his  contempt  for  suffering 
to  Spartan  stoicism.  While  his  body  was  roasting  in  the  fire, 
he  appealed  to  his  enemies  to  test  his  courage  by  increasing 
their  torture  that  they  might  see  for  themselves  how  bravely 
their  foe  could  die.  He  taunted  them  with  cowardice  and 
stupidity,  and  challenged  them  to  extract  from  him  an  ex- 
pression of  pain.  Maddened  by  his  taunts,  his  executioners 
would  then  close  in  upon  him,  tear  the  scalp  from  his  bleed- 
ing head,  cut  off  his  fingers  joint  by  joint,  and  pierce  him 
with  stone  knives  with  the  hope  of  extracting  from  the  in- 
domitable man  a  cry  of  complaint.  As  death  in  mercy  was 
ending  the  awful  torture  of  the  helpless  warrior,  they  opened 
his  side,  tore  out  the  palpitating  heart  and  began  to  devour  it 
with  unspeakable  pleasure,  with  the  hope  of  partaking  of  the 
invincible  courage  of  their  enemy,  whose  fortitude  excited 
their  admiration. 

They  were  a  courageous  people,  but  their  valor  was  dis- 
graced by  cruelty,  and  no  form  of  vice,  however  loathsome  or 
torture,  to  an  enemy,  however  fiendish,  met  with  condemna- 
tion, or,  indeed,  attracted  attention. 

Such,  briefly,  were  the  dominant  traits  in  the  character  of 
the  American  Indian.  This  short  review  of  some  of  the 
habits,  the  religious  notions,  the  prevailing  characteristics  of 
the  Indians  of  North  America  and  the  regions  in  which  they 
dwelt  is  necessarily  incomplete.  It  will  be  sufficient,  how- 
ever, to  afford  the  reader  an  idea  of  the  land  and  the  people, 
and  the  field,  in  general,  on  which  was  enacted  for  many  years 
the  drama  of  Christian  evangelization.  In  proportion  as 
Christianity  advanced  in  the  forest  or  on  the  desert  in  that 
proportion  did  civilization  penetrate  among  the  tribes. 

Day  after  day,  for  many  a  dreary  age,  before  the  Genoese 
discovered  America,  the  sun  looked  down  upon  the  enormous 
wickedness  and  cruelty  of  these  aboriginal  people  till,  wasted 


THE   CATHOLIC    CHURCH   IN   UTAH  75 

with  vice  and  tribal  wars,  they  were  slowly  fading  from  the 
face  of  the  earth.  In  their  melancholy  rnin  and  in  that  of 
the  nations  of  the  past  we  behold  historic  facts  supporting 
the  prediction  of  Isaiah,  who,  as  a  prophet  and  student  of 
the  human  race,  proclaimed  that  "the  people  who  will  not 
serve  God  shall  perish  ' 1 

The  American  Indian  approached  as  near  as  it  was  pos- 
sible to  Rousseau's  "Ideal  Man"  in  a  state  of  nature.  He 
was  untainted  by  civilization,  was  governed  by  natural  im- 
pulses, was  not  yet  depraved  by  meditation:  "I'homme  qui 
refli'chit  est  un  animal  deprave — the  man  of  reflection  is 
an  animal  depraved" — and  was  a  melancholy  example  of  the 
French  infidel's  false  philosophy. 

Chateaubriand's  assertion  that  "man  without  religion  is 
the  most  dangerous  animal  that  walks  or  crawls  upon  the 
earth,"  found  its  verification  in  almost  every  savage  who 
roamed  the  North  American  continent. 

The  American  Indian  has  seen  his  last  days  as  a  fighter, 
and  we  may  truthfully  repeat  of  him  what  De  Bourrienne 
spoke  by  the  grave  of  Bonaparte:  "He  sleeps  his  last  sleep, 
he  has  fought  his  last  battle,  no  sound  can  awake  him  to  glory 
again. ' ' 

When,  on  March  4,  1906,  the  tribal  organization  of  the 
Cherokees,  Choctaws,  Creeks,  Chickasaws  and  Seminoles  was 
dissolved  and  their  members  diffused  in  the  mass  of  the 
country's  citizenship,  and  when,  in  1889,  Chief  Ignacio  and 
his  thousand  Utes  ceded  their  rights  to  the  government  for 
$50,000,  the  final  chapter  in  the  Indian's  annals  as  an  inde- 
pendent race  was  written. 

The  Utes  had  ranked  among  the  bravest  of  the  Indian 
tribes,  and  in  ferocity  were  exceeded  only  by  the  bloodthirsty 
Apaches.  The  submission  of  the  Indians  to  the  United  States 
government  is  now  complete.  There  will  be  no  successors  to 
Geronimo,  Sitting  Bull  and  Crazy  Horse,  and  the  Ute  failure 
undoubtedly  ends  the  chapter. 

We  have  now  to  ask  ourselves,  what  manner  of  men  were 


76 


THE  CATHOLIC  CHURCH  IN  UTAH 


they  who  conceived,  and,  under  accumulated  hardship  and 
sufferings,  in  a  measure  bore  into  effect,  the  magnificent  re- 
solve of  Christianizing  and  civilizing  these  half-humanized 
hordes  ? 


Beavek. 


CHAPTER  VIII. 

HEROISM   OF  FRENCH  AND   SPANISH   MISSIONARIES. 

Missionary  Map  of  North  America — Jesuits  East  of  Missis- 
sippi— Their  Wonderful  Success — The  Canadian  Tribes 
— With  the  Wandering  Hordes — Jesuit  Martyrs — The 
Franciscans — Martyrs  of  the  Order — Plunge  of  the 
Franciscans  into  the  Desert — Testimony  of  Historians — 
Glory  of  Confessors,  Saints  and  Martyrs. 

Before  trailing  the  Franciscan  Fathers  from  New  Mexico 
to  Utah  Lake  and  explaining  why  no  missions  were  opened  by 
the  Catholic  Church  in  Utah  and  among  regional  tribes,  let 
ns  unroll,  at  least  partially,  the  missionary  map  of  North 
America  at  the  time  Velez  Escalante  and  his  priestly  com- 
panion traveled  through  Utah  in  1776. 

Early  in  1629  the  Fathers  of  the  Society  of  Jesus  entered 
upon  the  field  of  savagery  in  the  vast  territory  east  of  the 
Mississippi.  They  came  to  Canada  on  the  invitation  of  the 
Franciscan  missionaries,  who  for  fifteen  years  dwelt  with  the 
Hurons  and  Wyandottes  of  the  northern  regions.  It  was  im- 
possible for  the  few  Franciscans  of  the  north  to  follow  the 
roving  hordes  of  the  Algonquin  nation  which  bordered  the 
Huron  hunting  grounds,  or,  indeed,  to  open  missions  among 
many  of  the  sedentary  tribes.  Then,  answering  the  call,  the 
Jesuits  plunged  into  the  forests  and  entered  upon  a  career  of 
missionary  zeal  and  activity  that  for  heroic  endurance  and 
marvelous  success  challenges  comparison  with  Apostolic 
times. 

In  1763  these  daring  priests  had  opened  missions  and 
raised  the  standard  of  the  Catholic  Church — the  Cross — 
among  the  savage  Papinichois,  Gaspasians,  Acadians,  Souri- 
quois,  Betsiamites,  Misstassinis,  Montagnais,  Abenakis,  Ami- 
koues,  Christinaux,  Chippewas,  Sauteurs  and  Ottawas  of 
the  great  Algonquin  nation  that  hunted  and  fished  in  a  terri- 


78  THE   CATHOLIC   CHUECH  IN  UTAH 

tory  stretching  from  eastern  New  Brunswick  to  Quebec  City, 
and  from  the  mouth  of  the  Saguenay  to  Hudson  Bay.  As 
early  as  1649  they  had  Christianized  almost  the  entire  Huron 
confederacy  and  entered  the  villages  of  the  Pattawatomies, 
the  Sacs  and  Mascoutins,  or  " Nation  of  Fire."  Among  every 
tribe  of  those  war-hawks  of  the  wilderness — the  Iroquois — 
they  had  preached  the  Gospel,  built  bark  chapels  and  estab- 
lished missions,  and  before  1764  were  catechising  the  Miamis 
and  the  Illinois,  and  mingling  with  the  Sioux. 

From  the  mouth  of  the  St.  Lawrence  River  to  the  north- 
ern shores  of  Lake  Superior;  from  the  Great  Lakes  to  the 
Mississippi;  from  the  lands  of  the  Abenakis,  from  the  Aca- 
dian peninsula  to  Hudson  Bay,  there  was  not  a  savage  people 
whom  the  priests  had  not  visited  and  instructed  in  the  doc- 
trines of  Christianity. 

From  the  City  of  Quebec  these  fearless  soldiers  of  the  Cross, 

*     *     *     Defying  every  ill 

That  thorns  the  path  of  martyrdom, 

set  out  in  those  early  days  to  bear  the  message  of  their  cruci- 
fied Saviour  to  the  wandering  hordes  scattered  from  the 
lands  watered  by  the  Mississippi  to  the  northern  shores  of 
the  Hudson  Bay.  In  thirteen  years  they  tramped  or  canoed 
the  regions  of  the  Great  Lakes. 

Father  Rene  Meynard,  at  the  age  of  fifty-five,  already 
bent  and  attenuated  from  years  of  excessive  zeal,  hardships 
and  starvation  with  the  tribes,  dies  alone  and  unattended  in 
the  forests  bordering  Lake  Superior.  His  body  was  devoured 
by  wild  beasts.  Claude  Allouez  covers  in  his  wanderings  after 
lost  souls  12,000  miles,  visiting  in  their  haunts  and  encamp- 
ments the  Hurons  and  Algonquins,  the  Sioux  of  the  east,  the 
"Wild  Oats"  of  Lake  Michigan,  the  Pattawatomies  and  the 
Sauteurs  of  Lake  Superior.  Druillette  is  called  home  from  the 
Montagnais  hunters  of  the  Laurentian  wilds,  and  at  once 
starts  on  a  mission  of  peace  to  the  warlike  Abenaki,  while 
Dablon  penetrates  the    northern  wilderness,    hoping  to  dis- 


THE   CATHOLIC   CHURCH  IN  UTAH  79 

•cover  a  river  flowing  into  the  Sea  of  Japan.  Dolbeau  ex- 
plored toward  the  Misstassini  preaching  to  the  tribes  on  his 
romantic  but  perilous  route,  and  Raimbault  starts  on  his 
wonderful  journey  with  the  hope  of  finding  a  passage  to 
China,  and  tracing  a  circle  of  missionary  achievement  around 
the  world.  Those  messengers  of  the  Gospel,  outstripping  the 
most  daring  explorers  and  anticipating  the  future,  discovered 
vast  regions,  made  treaties  with  numberless  tribes  and,  for 
the  love  of  perishing  souls,  rose  superior  to  the  appeals  of  a 
suffering  body  and  the  demands  of  exhausted  nature. 

To  compensate  the  "Great  Order,"  as  Macaulay  ad- 
dressed the  Society  of  Jesus,  for  the  heroism  and  sacrifice 
of  its  sons  on  the  missionary  fields  of  North  America,  God 
conferred  upon  many  of  its  members  the  most  distinguished 
Jionor  that  could  fall  to  an  apostle — He  crowned  them  with 
the  crown  of  martyrs. 

The  names  of  these  victims  of  charity  are  familiar  to  us: 
John  de  Brebeuf  and  Gabriel  Lallement,  atrociously  tortured 
and  burned  alive;  Charles  Gamier,  Antoine  Daniel,  Pierre 
Buteux,  Sebastian  Rasle,  shot  to  death;  Pere  A.  De  Noue, 
•drowned;  Rene  Meynard,  devoured  by  wild  beasts;  Claude 
<Chabonel,  clubbed  to  death;  Isaac  Jogues,  tomahawked  and 
foeheaded — all  of  them  priests  of  the  Catholic  Church  and 
martyrs  for  the  faith  of  Christ. 

On  the  Pacific  coast,  in  Lower  and  northern  California,  in 
Arizona  and  New  Mexico,  the  Spanish  Franciscan  Fathers, 
animated  with  the  same  faith,  courage  and  zeal  which  distin- 
guished the  French  Jesuits  of  the  Great  Lakes  and  the  north- 
ern regions,  of  Canada,  were,  at  about  the  same  time,  buried 
amid  the  desolations  of  the  desert  and  the  solitudes  of  the 
JSierras,  civilizing  and  Christianizing  the  tribes  and  lifting 
ithem  unto  a  plane  of  decency  and  clean  living. 

From  Cape  San  Lucas  of  Lower  California  to  San  Fran- 
cisco, from  the  Bay  of  Guaymas  to  Tucson  and  the  Hopi 
lands  and  unto  the  towns  of  the  mysterious  Zuni,  these  con- 
secrated sons  of  St.  Francis  laid  a  chain  of  missions  whose 


80  THE  CATHOLIC  CHUKCH  IJST  UTAH 

ruins  to-day  evoke  the  wonder  alike  of  the  man  of  faith  and 
the  skeptic. 

The  names  of  California,  Pimeria  and  New  Mexico  will, 
for  all  time,  be  united  indissolubly  with  those  of  the  Fran- 
ciscan Fathers  who  labored  in  these  vast  and  lonely  vineyards, 
and  many  of  whose  names  are  enclosed  by  the  red  circle  of 
the  martyr's  blood.  Of  these  were  Francis  Porras,  poisoned 
by  the  Zuni,  1633 ;  Andre  Guitteras  and  Cristobal  de  la  Con- 
ception, clubbed  to  death;  Francisco  Letrado  and  Martin  de 
Arbide,  murdered  by  Zuni;  Louis  Jayne,  shot  to  death  by 
Deguens  at  San  Diego ;  Estavan  de  Arivide,  murdered  on  the 
desert  on  his  way  to  the  Zipias,  N.  M. ;  John  Diaz,  Mathew 
Morena,  John  Barranche,  Francis  Garces,  all  four  knifed 
and  clubbed  to  death  by  Yumas  on  the  Colorado,  July  19, 
1781.  The  deserts  of  the  southwest  are  soaked  with  the  blood 
of  thirty-four  priests  of  St.  Francis,  martyred  for  the  faith. 

These  men  of  God,  with  dauntless  courage  and  unalter- 
able faith,  went  on  foot  from  tribe  to  tribe,  bearing  the  mes- 
sage of  redemption  and  of  hope  to  men  and  women  reeking  in 
moral  and  bodily  filth  and  abandoned  to  a  monster  of  unclean 
and  tyrannical  superstitions.  They  made  known  the  revela- 
tions of  God  to  these  human  wrecks;  they  established  mis- 
sions among  the  "Digger"  Indians  of  Lower  California, 
among  the  coast  tribes,  among  the  Mojaves,  the  Yumas,  Papa- 
goes,  Pimas,  Maricopas,  Zuni  and  Moqui. 

By  the  operation  of  a  mysterious  law  of  Justice,  the  great 
priests,  whose  heroism  on  the  desert  and  disinterested  sacri- 
fices on  behalf  of  the  savages  of  the  southwest  are  now  a  part 
of  American  history,  are  to-day  receiving  from  impartial  his- 
torians that  admiration  and  praise  which,  in  other  times,  in- 
tolerance and  bigotry  refused  them.  Such  authors  as  Eussel 
Bartlett,  Charles  F.  Lummis,  Elliot  Coues,  and  other  disinter- 
ested non-Catholic  writers,  have  corrected  erroneous  state- 
ments and  arranged  some  popular  opinions  formed  of  the 
missionaries  and  their  methods.  We  owe  it  to  these  honest 
and  fearless  men  that  the  reading  public  is  at  last  beginning 
to  understand  why  the  missionaries  of  the  Catholic  Church 


THE   CATHOLIC    CHURCH   IN   UTAH  81 

were  the  only  clergymen  in  America  whose  work  among  the 
tribes  was  productive  of  lasting  good  and  to  concede  that,  if 
the  priests  had  been  left  in  undisturbed  possession  of  their 
missions,  the  Indians,  to-day,  would  be  a  civilized  and  numer- 
ous people. 

As  early  as  1685  the  Jesuit  priests,  anticipating  the  com- 
ing of  the  Franciscans,  had  already  covered  Lower  California 
and  southern  Arizona  with  monuments  of  their  zeal,  faith  and 
charity.  They  had,  according  to  the  "Apostolicas  Afanes"  of 
Padre  Jose  Ortega,  opened  twenty-nine  missions  in  Sonora 
and  what  is  now  southern  Arizona,  and  converted  to  Chris- 
tianity many  of  the  tribes.  They  taught  them  agriculture, 
building,  the  raising  of  cattle  and  sheep,  introduced  the 
grape,  the  peach,  the  lemon  and  the  orange.  When  they  re- 
tired from  the  wilderness  they  left,  in  many  places,  a  partial- 
ly civilized  race,  churches,  gardens  and  a  people  trained  to 
work.  They  bequeathed  to  their  successors  the  invaluable 
lesson  that  nothing  was  impossible  to  faith,  energy  and  perse- 
verance. 

The  Jesuit  priests  who  sealed  their  faith  with  their  blood 
in  Arizona  and  Lower  California  were  Francis  Xavier  Saeta, 
murdered  by  Pimas,  April  2,  1695 ;  Tomas  Tello,  stabbed  and 
clubbed  to  death  at  Caborca,  Nov.  21,  1751 ;  Henri  Ruen,  head 
split  open  and  stoned  to  death  by  Pimas,  1751;  Manuel 
Gonzalez,  died  on  the  desert;  Juan  Maria  Carranzo,  clubbed 
to  death  (1730)  by  Digger  Indians,  Lower  California,  and 
Nicolas  Tamarah,  throat  cut  by  Cochimis  (1730),  Lower  Cali- 
fornia. 

St.  Paul,  writing  to  his  Hebrew  converts  of  Palestine,  re- 
minds them  that  "faith  is  the  substance  of  things  hoped  for, 
the  conviction  of  things  that  appear  not,"  and  he  adds: 
"Without  faith  it  is  impossible  to  please  God."  He  then  con- 
tinues to  enumerate  the  wonderful  triumphs  achieved  through 
faith  by  the  elect  of  God:  "Who  through  faith  converted 
kingdoms."  This  wonderful  man,  "called  to  be  an  Apostle 
out  of  due  time,"  now  tells  them  of  the  trials  and  sufferings 
of  those  who  perished  for  the  faith:    "Wandering  in  deserts, 


82  THE  CATHOLIC  CHURCH  IN  UTAH 

in  mountains,  in  glens,  and  in  caves  of  the  earth.  They  had 
trials  of  mockeries  and  stripes;  they  were  stoned;  being  in 
want,  distressed,  afflicted;  they  were  put  to  death — a  just  God 
will  reward  them. ' ' 

These  early  missionaries,  whether  toiling  for  God  and 
their  fellow  man  in  northern  forests  or  on  the  deserts  of  the 
southwest,  are  to  us  glorious  examples  of  the  possibilities  of 
individual  man  when  possessed  of  strong  faith  and  ardent 
charity.  "A  just  God"  has  already  rewarded  these  faithful 
servants  of  Christ  whose  lives  were  a  triumphant  Odyssey,, 
and  whose  death  was  the  coronation  of  charity.  They  left  be- 
hind them  the  bright  light  of  superhuman  glory — the  glory  of 
confessors,  saints  and  martyrs. 


CHAPTER  IX. 

THE  FRANCISCANS. 

The  Religious  Orders — Pronouncement  of  Pius  IX. — Origin 
of  Name  Franciscan — Distinguished  Men  of  the  Order- 
As  Missionaries — Francis  of  Assisi — His  Conversion — 
Journey  to  Rome — Interview  with  the  Pope — Selecting 
the  Tivelve — Renouncing  'the  World — Their  Mission  to 
the  Poor — Love  for  Poverty — Brothers  of  the  Lepers — 
Apparitions  on  the  Streets  of  Naples. 

In  that  most  admirable  encyclical  letter  addressed  June 
17,  1847,  to  the  bishops  at  large,  Pope  Pius  IX  honors  the 
religious  Orders  of  the  Catholic  Church  by  pronouncing  them 
to  be  the  "Chosen  phalanges  of  the  army  of  Christ,  which 
have  always  been  the  bulwark  and  ornament  of  the  Christian 
republic,  as  well  as  of  civil  society."  Conspicuous  among, 
and  in  the  very  front  rank  of,  the  great  teaching  and  mission- 
ary bodies  of  the  Church  stands  the  Order  founded  by  St. 
Francis  of  Assisi  early  in  the  morning  of  the  thirteenth  cen- 
tury. The  humble  origin  in  the  year  1215  of  the  Fratres 
Minores  or  Franciscans,  as  we  insist,  from  affection  and  ad- 
miration for  St.  Francis,  upon  calling  them,  marks  an  epoch 
in  the  civilization  of  the  world.  The  heroism  of  the  Fran- 
ciscan missionaries  in  all  parts  of  our  habitable  earth  and 
their  sacrifices  on  behalf  of  Christ  and  humanity  challenge 
the  admiration  of  brave  men  and  stagger  belief  itself. 

"There  are  some  services  and  triumphs,"  writes  De- 
Montalembert  in  his  great  work,  "The  Monks  of  the  West," 
"  of  a  deep  and  silent  kind  which  acquire  their  due  honor  only 
from  posterity  and  under  the  survey  of  history." 

Before  dispassion  itself  could  begin  to  admire  the  services 
and  benefits  the  Franciscan  conferred  for  seven  centuries 
upon  the  hiunan  race,  the  light  had  to  penetrate  the  dark 
places  of  the  earth  where  the  bones  of  the  martyrs  lay  un- 


84  THE   CATHOLIC   CHUKCH  IN  UTAH 

buried.  Tardily,  but  at  last  and  sincerely,  unprejudiced  man 
is  paying  the  tribute  of  his  applause  and  admiration  to  the 
heroic  fortitude  of  the  saintly  men  of  the  Franciscan  Order 
who  in  China,  Corea,  South  and  North  America  bore  the 
Banner  of  the  Cross  to  the  barbarian  and  the  savage. 

It  is  late  in  the  day,  but  not  too  late,  to  ask  ourselves  what 
manner  of  men  were  they  who,  under  accumulated  suffer- 
ings, and  with  unparalleled  success,  succeeded  in  win- 
ning to  Christ  and  to  decency  the  degraded  and  unknown 
tribes  of  Africa,  America  and  the  Islands  of  the  Sea?  Well, 
many  of  them  were  members  of  aristocratic  and  noble  fami- 
lies who  had  graduated  from  the  best  schools  of  Europe,  and 
some  among  them  have  their  names  carved  in  the  Pantheon 
of  Fame  and  in  the  imperishable  diptychs  of  the  immortal 
Church  of  God.  However,  this  is  not  the  place  to  enter  upon 
a  disquisition  of  the  great  Order  or  upon  the  debt  of  grati- 
tude due  to  it  from  the  members  of  the  human  race  and  even 
from  the  Church  itself. 

The  history  of  the  Catholic  Church,  from  the  thirteenth 
to  the  sixteenth  century,  was  largely  the  history  of  the 
rise  and  expansion  of  the  Franciscan  Order  in  every  part 
of  Europe.  St.  Anthony  of  Padua,  St.  Bonaventure,  Blessed 
John  of  Parma,  St.  Bernardine  of  Sienna,  Duns  Scotus, 
St.  Leonard  of  Port  Maurice  belonged  to  the  imperial  guard 
of  St.  Francis,  who,  from  one  end  of  Europe  to  the  other, 
stormed  the  strongholds  of  Satan.  They  contributed  largely 
to  the  learning  and  science  of  the  world.  When  our  thoughts 
carry  us  to  the  halls  of  the  Sarbonne  of  Paris  or  to  the  class 
rooms  of  Oxford  or  Cambridge,  we  recall  the  assertion  of  Mr. 
Gladstone  that  their  golden  age  was  when  the  Friars  Minor — 
the  Franciscans — sat  in  the  chairs  of  learning — the  Cathedra 
— when  Duns  Scotus,  Adam  de  Marisco,  Alexander  of  Hales, 
Ockham  and  Peckham  taught  the  civilized  world. 

But  it  is  as  a  missionary  order  we  love  to  contemplate  the 
Franciscans,  and,  as  the  patriarch  of  missionaries,  we  vener- 
ate St.  Francis,  who  has  begotten  through  the  Gospel  the 


THE   CATHOLIC    CHUKCH  IN   UTAH  85 

largest  family  of  missionaries  born  from  the  prolific  womb  of 
the  "Bride  of  Christ,"  the  Catholic  Church. 

Who,  then,  was  Francis  of  Assisi? 

Centuries  before  Northwestern  Europe  broke  apart  from 
the  unity  of  Christendom,  a  young  man,  the  son  of  wealthy 
parents,  lay  at  death's  door.  This  was  John  Bernardon,  who 
was  born  in  1182,  and  was  familiarly  called  Francis  by  his 
companions,  because  of  his  knowledge  of  the  French  language — 
a  rare  accomplishment  in  those  days.  Hope  was  almost  aban- 
doned, when  gradually  a  change  for  the  better  set  in,  and  the 
haughty  young  Francis  of  the  little  Italian  town  of  Assisi  rose 
from  his  sick  bed  an  altered  man.  Eeflections  came  to  him 
during  the  weary  weeks  of  his  recovery — reflections  which 
wrought  an  extraordinary,  a  supernatural  change  in  the 
young  man.  Before  his  illness  he  was  merry-hearted  and 
vivacious,  was  given  to  fine  clothes  and  the  fashionable  amuse- 
ments of  his  day. 

But  now  he  held  all  these  in  strange  contempt;  his  love  of 
pleasure  and  worldly  display  went  out  from  him,  and  there 
came  in  to  take  their  place  in  his  soul,  love  of  poverty,  com- 
miseration for  the  poor,  and  sympathy  for  all  forms  of 
human  suffering.  Ringing  in  his  ears,  as  if  with  metallic 
clearness,  were  the  words  of  Christ,  Lord  and  Master: 
"Do  not  possess  gold  or  silver  or  money  in  your  purses." 
They  came  to  him  as  winged  messengers  from  another  world, 
and  his  heart  answered  with  a  pledge  of  obedience. 

Casting  from  him  his  purse,  his  jewels  and  golden  chain, 
the  young  man  removed  his  shoes,  threw  aside  his  fashion- 
able raiment,  clothed  himself  in  a  rough  tunic  girded  with  a 
rope,  and  entered  upon  a  career  of  self-denial  and  penitential 
preaching  which  has  won  for  him  a  conspicuous  place  in  the 
Catholic  Church  and  in  the  annals  of  history. 

Gnawing  at  his  heart,  not  merely  buzzing  in  his  brain,  the 
words  kept  smiting  him:  "Provide  neither  gold,  nor  silver, 
nor  brass  in  your  purses,  neither  scrip  for  your  journey, 
neither  two  coats,  nor  yet  staves,  for  the  workman  is  worthy 
of  his  meat."    Once  before  beggars  had  changed  the  face  of 


86  THE   CATHOLIC   CHURCH  IN  UTAH 

the  world,  with  no  other  equipment  than  faith  and  God's 
grace.    And  why  not  again? 

Francis  of  Assisi  went  out  into  the  world  with  no  doubt 
of  his  mission,  with  no  fear  for  the  morrow,  with  no  money 
in  his  purse,  for  did  not  God  provide  for  the  young  ravens 
whom  Francis  loved  and  spoke  to  in  ecstasy  of  joy?  Empara- 
dised  in  beatific  vision,  he  beheld  the  angels  of  God  encour- 
aging him,  and,  embowered  in  ecstasy,  he  saw  the  Five 
Wounds  of  Christ  bleeding  afresh  for  the  sins  of  the  world. 

Barely  taking  time  to  snatch  a  mouthful  of  bread  and  a 
few  hours'  sleep,  Francis  started,  bare-footed,  on  the  road  to 
Borne  and,  entering  the  Imperial  City,  knelt  at  the  feet  of 
that  great  Pope,  Innocent  III,  asking  his  blessing  and 
recognition  for  the  Order  he  was  soon  to  establish. 

The  Pontiff  was  walking  in  his  garden  of  the  Lateran 
when  Francis  entered.  Startled  by  the  sudden  apparition  of 
the  young  man,  thinned  to  emaciation,  shoeless,  bare-headed, 
half-clad,  withal  a  beggar  of  gentleness  and  refinement,  Inno- 
cent asked  him  his  mission.  The  Pontiff's  eye  penetrated 
through  the  rags  of  the  beggar  and  saw  the  saint.  The  Pope 
approved  of'his  project,  and  Francis  returned  to  Assisi  carry- 
ing with  him  a  draught  of  his  afterward  famous  "Rule." 

Gathering  to  himself  twelve  others,  all  young,  all  aglow 
with  the  same  divine  flame,  he  began  his  extraordinary 
career.  Nearly  all  of  knightly  rank  and  gentle  blood,  they 
surrendered  their  claims  to  inheritance,  and,  following  the 
example  of  their  ascetic  leader,  stripped  themselves  of  all 
worldly  possessions  and  for  Christ's  sake  took  poverty  for 
their  bride. 

Bare-footed  beggars  they  were,  and  as  money  was  the 
root  of  evil,  they  would  not  touch,  even  with  the  tips  of  their 
fingers,  the  accursed  thing :  "Ye  cannot  serve  God  and  mam- 
mon," spoke  Francis,  even  in  Christ's  own  words. 

These  apostles  of  poverty,  of  pity,  of  devouring  love  for 
their  fellow  creatures,  went  forth,  two  by  two,  to  preach  hope 
and  Christ  crucified  to  the  poor.  Called  to  live  among  the 
people,  to  subsist  upon  alms,  to  bear  the  hardest  toil,  their 


THE   CATHOLIC    CHUECH   IN   UTAH  87 

mission  was  to  revive  the  faith  of  Jesus  Christ  among  the 
masses,  to  give  daily  and  living  examples  of  Christian  pa- 
tience, devoted  sacrifice  and  self-denial.  If  ever  men  preached 
Christ  and  Him  crucified,  these  men  did. 

They  had  no  system,  no  views ;  they  combated  no  opinions, 
they  took  no  side.  Discussion,  controversy,  theological  dis- 
pute, these  they  left  to  the  rhetoricians  and  the  schoolmen. 
That  Christ  had  died,  had  risen  again  and  was  alive  for  ever- 
more was  an  indisputable  but  awful  fact.  They  preached 
Death,  the  Judgment  after  death,  reward  for  good  deeds  and 
an  endless  hell. 

Francis  and  his  companions  called  themselves  "Brothers 
of  the  Poor, ' '  but  future  generations,  out  of  love  and  admira- 
tion for  this  lovable  man  and  wonderful  saint,  insist  upon  giv 
ing  his  name  to  all  who,  by  vow,  walk  in  his  footsteps. 

Their  mission  was  to  the  poor,  to  the  neglected,  to  those 
sweltering  masses  in  foul  hovels  with  never  a  quilt  to  cover 
them,  huddling  close,  alive  with  vermin,  disfigured  with 
ghastly  wens ;  lepers  accursed  of  God  and  man,  too  horribly 
shocking  for  women  to  look  upon,  and  driven  outside  the  walls 
to  rot  and  die  in  the  lazar  houses. 

To  these  came  Francis  with  bread,  with  consolation,  with 
hope,  with  a  message  from  Jesus  Christ,  the  son  of  God.  To 
these  outcasts,  wherever  found,  came  those  other  twelve  into 
whom  Francis  had  poured  much  of  his  own  spirit  of  heroic 
abnegation  and  sublime  love  for  God's  creatures,  "brothers 
to  Jesus  Christ,  brothers  to  you  and  me." 

"We  are  come,"  they  said  to  the  unhappy  wretches,  "we 
are  come  as  your  friends,  nay,  even  as  your  brothers,  to  live, 
if  needs  be,  among  you ;  to  wash  your  sores  and  to  carry  with 
you  your  burdens  of  poverty  and  disease.  Our  Lord  sends  us 
to  you.  We,  too,  are  beggars,  and,  like  Him,  we  know  not 
where  to  lay  our  heads  for  sleep.  Christ  died  for  all  of  us 
and — hope  is  ours  and  there  is  happiness  beyond  the  grave. '  * 

As  they  spoke,  so  they  lived,  and  when,  wan,  hollow-eyed, 
ghastly  pale,  emaciated  to  the  bone,  they  glided  for  the  first 
time  through  the  streets  of  sinful  Naples,  it  was  as  if  "the 


THE  CATHOLIC  CHURCH  IN  UTAH 


graves  were  opened,  and  the  bodies  of  the  saints  that  had 
slept  arose,  came  into  the  city  and  appeared  to  many." 

In  the  presence  of  such  stupendous  examples  of  brotherly 
love,  face  to  face  with  these  hourly  miracles  of  grace,  of  self- 
denial  and  heroic  self-sacrifice,  the  cynic  was  dumb,  the  rich 
man  opened  his  purse  and  the  proud  and  sinful  took  pause. 


CHAPTER  X. 

SONS  OF  ST.  FKANCTS. 

Their  First  Official  Meeting — Expansion  of  the  Order — Its 
Influence  in  the  Discovery  of  America — Francis  of  Cala- 
bria and  the  Queen — Founding  of  City  of  San  Domingo, 
Haiti — Pioneers  of  the  Faith  in  America — Friends  of 
the  Indian — Denouncing  the  Slave  Trade — Conversion  of 
Tribes — Marvelous  Success  of  the  Franciscans — Authori- 
ties Cited — Diego  Landa — Missionaries   and   Explorers. 

In  1215  the  Franciscans  held  their  first  chapter  or  conven- 
tion at  the  Church  of  the  Portiuncula,  Assisi.  Their  members 
began  to  increase,  and  from  Italy  they  flowed  over  into 
France,  Germany,  Spain  and  England. 

The  whole  face  of  Christendom  was  changed  by  the 
preaching  and  example  of  St.  Francis  and  his  companions. 
They  proved  to  the  men  of  their  time  that  the  teachings  and 
commands  of  Jesns  Christ,  the  Son  of  God, were  not  above  the 
understanding  and  obedience  of  the  men  of  the  middle  and  of 
all  succeeding  ages.  In  the  person  of  Francis,  Jesus  of  Naz- 
areth lived  again,  for  the  love,  the  instruction  and  edification 
of  the  human  race,  as  He  had  never  lived  in  any  one  individ- 
ual since  that  hour  when  the  great  apostle  to  the  pagan 
world  reminded  the  Galatians :  "I  have  been  crucified  with 
Christ,  and  I  live,  now  not  I,  but  Christ  liveth  in  me." 

This  is  not  the  place  to  trace  the  ramifications  of  the  dis- 
tinguished Order  of  St.  Francis  which,  like  the  branches  of 
the  Idumean  vine,  cover  a  great  space  and  reach  afar,  but  to 
hurriedly  trace  that  arm  of  the  prolific  vine  which  was  trans- 
planted to  America  and  sent  out  its  branches  to  every  part 
of  the  wonderful  continent. 

Waiving  the  divine  interposition,  and  concerning  our- 
selves only  with  human  agencies,  it  is  no  language  of  exag- 
geration to  assert  that  to  the  influence  of  a  Franciscan  priest 


90  THE   CATHOLIC   CHURCH  IN  UTAH 

humanity  is  largely  indebted  for  the  discovery  of  America. 
When  the  daring  Genoese,  Columbus,  had  appealed  in  vain 
to  the  courts  of  Europe  for  help  to  outfit  him  for  his  perilous 
enterprise,  he  turned  to  the  Franciscan  priest,  Francis  of 
Calabria,  to  advise  him  in  his  despair.  Francis  went  in  per- 
son to  Isabella,  queen  of  Spain,  and,  when  he  left  her  pres- 
ence, he  carried  back  to  Columbus,  his  guest  in  the  monas- 
tery of  Calabria,  the  promise  that  the  queen  would  furnish 
the  means  to  start  him  on  his  ocean  voyage. 

When  afterwards  calumny  hardened  the  hearts  of  royalty 
and  the  nobility  of  Spain  against  him,  it  was  another  Fran- 
ciscan, Juan  Perez  de  Marchena,  who  came  to  his  assistance, 
"The  protector  of  Columbus  in  Spain,"  we  read  in  the  his- 
tory of  Count  Eoselly  de  Lorgues,  "was  the  generous  Fran- 
ciscan, Juan  Perez  de  Marchena."  This  same  Father  Perez, 
astronomer  and  cartographist,  accompanied  Columbus  on  his 
second  voyage,  and,  with  the  great  navigator,  founded  the 
city  of  San  Domingo,  Haiti,  West  Indies. 

Almost  immediately  after  San  Domingo,  in  1511,  was 
raised  to  a  bishopric  by  Pope  Julius  II.,  and  Juan  de  Zumar- 
raga  created,  in  1548,  first  archbishop  of  Mexico,  the  Fran- 
ciscans entered  upon  a  career  of  missionary  enterprise  among 
the  savages  of  North  and  South  America  that  will  for  all  time 
file  the  names  of  their  martyrs  and  confessors  as  beads  of 
gold  on  a  Rosary  of  Fame.  In  one  hundred  years  the  Fran- 
ciscan missionaries  had  converted  and  civilized  sixteen  mil- 
lions of  savages  on  the  continent  of  America.  Not  one,  but 
a  whole  library  of  books,  would  be  required  to  record  their 
achievements. 

"The  sons  of  St.  Francis,"  writes  Leopold  de  Chevance, 
"including  Peter  of  Ghent,  Martin  of  Valencia,  Francis  So- 
lano, and  Garcia  of  Padilla,  were  the  first  to  evangelize  Mex- 
ico, Peru,  Paraguay,  Brazil,  Canada,  and  the  whole  of  the 
West  Indies.  Pursuing  to  the  last  their  work  of  deliverance 
and  salvation,  they  were  also  the  first,  with  Juan  Suarez, 
Las  Casas  and  Zumarraga  to  raise  their  voices  in  favor  of 
the  Indians,  whom  it  was  sought  to  reduce  to  slavery,  as, 


THE   CATHOLIC   CHURCH   IN   UTAH  91 

along  with  Ximenes,  they  were  the  first  to  protest  against 
that  hideous  traffic,  the  slave  trade." 

The  Franciscans  were  not  only  the  first  missionaries  in 
Mexico  and  in  those  regions  of  North  America  settled  by  the 
Spaniards,  but  they  were  the  first  to  penetrate  the  northern 
forests  of  Canada  and  the  regions  of  the  Great  Lakes.  Years 
before  the  Congregational  Pilgrims  landed  in  Massachusetts, 
in  1620,  the  Franciscan  Fathers  Le  Caron,  Viel  and  de  la 
Roche  Daillon  were  evangelizing  the  tribes  on  the  shores  of 
Lake  Huron  and  preaching  to  the  Attiwandarons,  whose 
hunting  grounds  stretched  from  the  Falls  of  Genesee  to  the 
Detroit  Narrows. 

From  the  Franciscans  the  indigenous  races  of  the  South 
American  continent  derived  their  religion  and  their  civiliza- 
tion, and,  by  the  operation  of  a  mysterious  land  of  conserva- 
tion, acting  with  clearness  and  precision,  these  southern 
tribes  have  been  united  into  one  family  and  one  household — 
the  family  and  household  of  the  imperishable  Church  of  God. 
The  native  tribes  of  the  South  American  continent,  notwith- 
standing the  unfavorable  conditions  of  their  surroundings 
and  the  evil  examples  of  many  of  the  superior  race,  have  pre- 
served their  solidarity  and  numbers  by  the  influence  of  the 
Catholic  Church  and  of  her  spiritual  sons,  the  Franciscans. 
"More  than  a  million  and  a  half  of  the  pure  aboriginal 
races,"  writes  Prichard  in  his  "Natural  History  of  Man," 
"live  in  South  America  in  the  profession  of  Christianity, 
while  the  history  of  the  attempts  to  convert  and  save  the  In- 
dians of  North  America  under  the  influence  of  the  sects  is  a 
history  of  melancholy  failures.  The  preservation  of  the  In- 
dians of  Mexico,  South  and  Central  America  reflects  honor 
on  the  Roman  Catholic  Church." — Prichard,  Sec.  XLIV.,  p. 
427. 

"Far  from  being  diminished,"  writes  C.  Stuart  Cochrane 
in  "My  Journal  of  a  Residence  in  Columbia,"  "the  Indians 
have  considerably  increased.  A  similar  increase  has  taken 
place  generally  among  the  Indian  population  in  that  part  of 
America  which  is  within  the  tropics.     .     .     .     The    Indian 


92  THE   CATHOLIC  CHURCH  IN  UTAH 

population  in  the  missions  is  constantly  augmenting,  while 
within  the  United  States,  on  the  contrary,  the  Indians  are 
fast  diminishing  in  numbers.  In  the  United  States,  as  civili- 
zation advances,  the  Indians  are  constantly  driven  beyond 
its  pale." 

In  Spanish  America  today,  mainly  through  the  zeal  and 
devotion  of  the  Franciscan  Fathers,  the  Indians  are  in  num- 
bers practically  what  they  were  at  the  time  of  the  conquest. 
They  are  civilized  and  Christianized,  and  are  eligible  for  any 
office  in  the  state,  the  Church  or  the  army.  "In  two  hundred 
years  we  of  the  north,"  writes  Mr.  C.  F.  Lummis,  in  his 
"Spanish  Pioneers,"  "will  be  classifying  and  articulating 
and  lecturing  on  the  bones  of  the  prehistoric  Indian,  while  all 
through  South  and  Central  America  the  Indian  will  be  culti- 
vating the  land  and  increasing  in  numbers." 

The  Franciscans  have,  in  Spanish  America,  won  a  thou- 
sand tribes  to  the  cross;  have  seen  them  increase  and  multi- 
ply on  every  side  under  the  benign  rule  of  the  Church ;  and,  in 
spite  of  many  calamities,  reverses  and  opposition,  have  pre- 
served them  for  two  hundred  years  in  the  unbroken  unity  of 
the  faith.  From  Bogota  to  Buenos  Ayres  the  Franciscans 
roamed  the  forests  and  plains,  bringing  Christianity  and 
civilization  to  the  sedentary,  or  wandering,  savages. 

"The  voice  of  Christianity,"  writes  Archibald  Smith  in 
his  "Peru  As  It  Is,"  "has  penetrated  into  vast  regions  of 
heathen  and  savage  tribes,  and  reached  the  unsettled  wan- 
derers among  the  thickest  entanglements  of  the  woods.  From 
Ocopa  issued  forth  those  zealous,  persevering,  self-denying 
and  enduring  men,  the  great  object  of  whose  lives  it  has  been, 
in  the  midst  of  danger,  and  in  the  name  of  the  Saviour,  to 
add  to  the  faith  of  the  Church,  and  to  civilized  society,  beings 
whose  spirits  were  as  dark  as  the  woods  they  occupied." 

The  Hon.  F.  Walpole,  who  had  ample  opportunity  of  inti- 
mately studying  the  results  of  the  self-sacrifice  and  labors  of 
the  missionaries,  tells  us  in  his  "Four  Years  in  the  Pacific": 
"All  South  America  was  explored  under* their  (the  Francis- 
cans')   direction.    Overcoming  every  difficulty,   surmounting 


THE   CATHOLIC    CHURCH   IN   UTAH  93 

toils,  braving  unheard  of  and  unknown  dangers,  glorying  in 
wounds,  hardships — death  itself — these  zealous  men  spoke  of 
Jesus  and  His  love  and  mercy  in  the  remotest  nooks  of  this 
vast  continent." 

In  Central  America  the  Franciscans  were  the  pioneers  of 
civilization  and  religion.  As  early  as  1551  Father  Diego 
Landa  was  preaching  to  the  tribes  of  Yucatan  and  decipher- 
ing the  Maya  hieroglyphs  on  the  monuments  of  Mayapan, 
Chichen-Itza  and  Merida.  He  solved  the  mystery  of  the 
Ahau-Katan,  or  the  cycle  of  the  Quiches,  and  left  us  an  in- 
valuable treatise  on  Yucatan  and  its  people.  All  through 
Guatemala,  Nicaragua  and  Honduras  these  faithful  mission- 
aries carried  the  torch  of  Christianity,  early  in  the  seven- 
teenth century,  through  the  tribes,  and  established  among 
them  a  civilization  that  exists  in  Central  America  to-day. 

John  L.  Stephens,  who,  in  1839-1840,  traveled  through 
Central  America  and  enjoyed  every  opportunity  of  witness- 
ing the  life  of  labor  and  responsibility  of  the  lonely  priests 
scattered  among  the  inland  village  Indians,  tells  us  in  his 
''Incidents  of  Travel  in  Central  America,"  that  the  priest 
"was  looked  up  to  by  every  Indian  as  a  counselor,  friend  and 
father.  ...  I  could  but  think,  what  subsequently  im- 
pressed itself  upon  me  more  and  more  in  every  step  of  my 
journey  in  that  country,  'Blessed  is  the  village  that  has  a 
priest.'  "  Farther  on  in  his  fascinating  book  he  writes: 
"The  priests  were  all  intelligent  and  good  men,  who  would 
rather  do  benefits  than  an  injury.  In  matters  connected  with 
religion  they  were  most  reverential,  labored  diligently  in 
their  vocations,  and  were  without  reproach  among  the  peo- 
ple." 

The  heroic  work  of  the  Franciscans  in  the  great  Aztec 
empire  of  Mexico,  their  labors  in  Sonora,  Sinoloa,  in  Upper 
and  Lower  California,  their  daring  explorations  and  discov- 
eries in  the  unexplored  lands  of  the  west  and  southwest  of 
our  country,  are  too  well  known  to  particularize  in  these 
pages. 

To  this  great  missionary  order  of  St.  Francis  belonged 


94  THE  CATHOLIC  CHURCH   IN  UTAH 

the  two  daring  priests,  Francisco  Atanasio  Dominguez  and 
Silvestre  Velez  de  Escalante,  who,  from  Santa  Fe,  New  Mex- 
ico, crossed,  one  hundred  and  thirty-five  years  ago,  Colorado, 
Utah  and  Arizona,  and  entered  the  Moqui  towns  beyond  the 
Colorado  Chiquito,  the  Rio  Jaquesila  of  the  Moqui  s. 


CHAPTER  XL 

VELEZ  ESCALANTE,  PKIEST  AND  EXPLORER. 

His  Arrival  in  Mexico — Assignment  to  Zuni-Land — Visits 
the  Moquis — Writes  to  Father  Garces — Garces'  Extra- 
ordinary Career — His  Explorations  in  Arizona  and  Cali- 
fornia— First  White  Man  to  Cross  Grand  Canyon  of  the 
Colorado — Opens  the  Oldest  of  the  "Spanish  Trails" — 
Escalante  Attempts  Crossing  of  the  Canyon — His  Letter 
on  the  Moquis — Return  to  the  Zunis — Called  to  Santa 
Fe — Codifies  New  Mexican  Archives — Apache  Cruelty — 
Escalante's  Retirement  and  Death. 

It  is  much  to  be  deplored  that  research  in  the  National 
Library,  Mexico,  and  examination  of  the  archives  of  the  Epis- 
copal Library,  Santa  Fe,  have  not  rewarded  us  with  more  sat- 
isfactory information  on  the  lives  of  Fathers  Escalante  and 
Dominguez.  Of  Dominguez  very  little  is  on  record,  and  we 
have  no  data  from  which  a  short  biography  might  be  com- 
piled. 

We  have  searched  through  the  "Cronica  Serafica  y  Apos- 
tolica  del  Colegio  de  Propaganda  Fide  de  la  Santa  Cruz  de 
Queretaro  en  la  Nueva  Espana"  but  have  not  found  any  men- 
tion of  their  names.  Let  us  hope  that  some  future  historian, 
who  can  bring  to  his  work  the  time,  the  patience  and  the 
means,  will  succeed  where  we  have  failed.  His  brother  priest 
and  companion  on  the  Moqui  "Entrada,"  or  Santa  Fe  expe- 
dition, fills  a  more  conspicuous  place  in  the  annals  of  New 
Mexico. 

Silvestre  Velez  de  Escalante  was  a  Spanish  priest  and  a 
member  of  the  teaching  and  missionary  order  founded  by 
St.  Francis  of  Assisi,  Italy,  in  the  twelfth  century.  He  was 
one  of  the  congregation  of  fourteen  priests  who,  in  1768, 
sailed  from  the  port  of  San  Bias,  Spaiu,  and,  after  a  tempes- 
tuous voyage,  reached  the  Puerto  de  Guaymas,  Gulf  of  Cali- 


96  THE   CATHOLIC   CHURCH  IN  UTAH 

fornia.  From  here  lie  went  to  the  town  of  Horcasitas,  on  the 
San  Miguel,  the  headquarters  of  the  Spanish  governor  and 
of  the  mission  of  Sonora  and  Sinoloa.  In  the  distribution  of 
the  missionaries  made  by  the  governor  and  the  local  superior 
of  the  Franciscans,  Padre  Escalante  was  assigned  to  Ter- 
renate,  one  of  the  five  Sonorian  presidios,  and  in  time  was 
appointed  resident  missionary  at  Laguna,  Northeastern  New 
Mexico.  From  here  he  visited  and  instructed  many  of  the 
sedentary  tribes  in  and  around  Cebilita  and  El  Moro. 

Early  in  January,  1775,  he  is  with  the  Zunis  at  Ojo  del 
Peseado  preaching  to  the  adults,  teaching  the  little  boys  and 
girls  how  to  pray,  and,  incidentally,  imparting  to  the  Indians 
a  knowledge  of  improved  tillage  and  of  domestic  cleanliness. 
His  zeal  and  devotion  to  the  children  won  the  admiration  of 
the  Zunis.  All  the  neighboring  pueblos  venerated  him  as  a 
superior  man,  and  his  fame  traveled  to  the  Moqui  towns 
north  of  the  Colorado  Chiquito,  to  whom  he  had  sent  greet- 
ings and  a  message  of  good  will.  The  "Cliff  Dwellers"  sent 
a  deputation  of  their  elders  to  invite  him  to  their  villages,  an 
invitation  which  he  accepted.  He  passed  eight  days  with  the 
Moquis,  holding  councils  with  the  head  men  and  explaining 
to  the  mysterious  people  the  principal  articles  of  Christian 
belief.  When  he  returned  to  his  Zuni  mission  he  wrote, 
August  18,  1775,  to  Father  Francisco  Garces,  who  was  then 
exploring  the  Colorado  and  visiting  the  regional  tribes. 

Fray  Garces  was  the  first  white  man  to  make  the  journey 
from  Yuma  to  the  Mojave  and  on  to  the  Los  Angeles  of  to- 
day. He  discovered  the  Mojave  river,  traveled  on  foot  the 
unexplored  region,  and  explored  the  Tulare  Valley.  Accord- 
ing to  Arricivita,  he  was  the  first  white  man  who  ever  saw 
and  crossed  the  Grand  Canyon  from  east  to  west,  and  gave 
to  this  gorge — one  of  the  natural  wonders  of  the  world — a 
specific  name.  In  1774  he  piloted  Captain  Juan  B.  Ansa  and 
his  party  from  the  Pima  village  of  Tubac  on  the  Rio  Santa 
Cruz  to  Monterey,  California,  and  opened  the  oldest  of  the 
Spanish  trails. 

In  his  letter  to  Father  Garces.  Escalante  called  the  Colo- 


THE   CATHOLIC    CHURCH   IN   UTAH  97 

rado  the  Rio  Grande  de  los  Cosninos,  after  a  sub-tribe  of  the 
Havasupa,  then  settled  in  a  deep  depression  of  Cataract 
river  in  northwestern  Arizona.  He  mentioned,  on  represen- 
tations made  to  him  by  the  Indians,  that  the  Colorado  was 
impassable,  and  that  no  one  knew  if  any  people  lived  on  the 
other  side  of  the  Great  Gorge.  In  this  letter  he  gives  cur- 
rency to  a  report  that  white  men  (probably  shipwrecked 
Spaniards)  were  met  by  Indians  in  the  Far  West,  before 
Monterey  was  founded,  thus  reviving  the  myth  of  "the  north- 
ern mystery. 

The  letter  of  Padre  Escalante  was  nearly  thirteen  months 
hunting  the  wandering  priest,  and  caught  up  with  him,  at 
last,  at  his  mission  of  San  Xavier  del  Bac,  near  the  modern 
city  of  Tucson,  Arizona. 

In  the  report  of  his  expeditions,  Garces,  writing  October 
17,  1776,  says:  "About  a  month  after  I  returned  from  my 
journey  I  received  a  letter  from  the  Rev.  Father  Silvestre 
Yelez  de  Escalante,  dated  from  New  Mexico,  August,  of  the 
above-mentioned  year  (1775),  which,  though  they  dispatched 
it  to  me  to  the  Rio  Colorado,  they  (the  Indian  runners)  had 
to  bring  back,  for  I  had  already  departed.  I  read  with  deep 
interest  this  letter.  Now,  as  to  the  statement  made  by  the 
•Cosnino  Indian  to  the  Reverend  Father,  I  assert  that  what 
lie  calls  the  Rio  de  los  Misterios  is  the  Colorado  River.  The 
protestation  that  the  river  was  impassable,  and  that  the 
•Cosninos  did  not  know  if  there  were  people  on  the  other  side, 
w^as  an  exaggeration  of  the  Indian,  for  it  is  certain  that  there 
are  people,  and  friends  of  theirs,  on  the  other  side  of  the 
river.  It  is  true,  the  river  may  be  difficult  to  cross,  for,  as  I 
Slave  already  written,  from  the  village  of  the  Jama  jabs  up- 
wards, the  banks  are  very  steep  and  the  sides  exceedingly 
rough. ' ' 

During  his  visit  to  the  Moquis  Escalante  attempted  to 
cross  the  Grand  Canyon  of  the  Colorado  and  failed.  In  his 
"'Informe  y  Diario  que  in  Junio  de  1775  hizo  en  la  Provincia 
«de  Moqui" — his  diary  kept  while  among  the  Moquis — he  re- 
counts the   obstacles  he   encountered  when  he  essayed  the 


98  THE    CATHOLIC   CHURCH   IN    UTAH 

crossing  of  the  tremendous  chasm.  He  describes  the  Moqui 
pueblos,  adding  there  were  seven  of  them,  perched  on  three- 
mesas,  carrying  a  population  of  seven  thousand  five  hundred 
souls;  that  Oraibe  was  the  largest  town,  and  held  almost  two- 
thirds  of  the  people.  His  journal,  dated  October  28,  1775,  is 
full  of  interesting  details.  He  recounts  incidents  of  his  long 
and  perilous  trip  from  Zuni,  what  occurred  during  his  eight 
days'  stay  among  the  Moquis,  the  difficulty  of  converting 
them  to  the  faith,  owing  to  the  opposition  of  the  Shamans,, 
and  the  possible  necessity  of  the  Spaniards  being  compelled 
to  use  force  to  subdue  them.  He  says  the  Moquis,  or  Moqui- 
nos,  as  they  were  then  spoken  of,  were  all  disposed  towards. 
Christianity  and  the  Spaniards,  but  the  medicine  men,  or 
sorcerers,  fearing  their  power  and  influence  would  be  im- 
paired, or  lost  altogether  if  the  missionaries  were  permitted 
to  dwell  permanently  in  their  villages,  Were  bitterly  hostile. 

This  Moqui  diario  gives  us  an  insight  into  the  tribal  life- 
of  the  occult  race,  and  is  full  of  curious  and  interesting  in- 
formation. 

Accompanying  the  diario  was  a  map  of  the  routes  he  had! 
taken  and  a  delineation  of  the  features  of  the  land  and  the; 
general  lay  of  the  country.  This  map  he  finished  at  Santa 
Fe,  to  which  place  he  was  summoned  by  the  viceroy  of  New" 
Mexico,  Pedro  Firmin  de  Mindinueta,  to  enter  with  Father 
Atanasio  Dominguez  upon  a  tour  of  exploration  towards  the; 
Pacific  ocean. 

Returning  from  his  famous  expedition,  Escalante  com- 
pleted from  his  voluminous  notes  his  diario  and  itinerary,, 
now  translated  for  the  first  time  and  given  to  the  public  in 
this  history.  A  map  of  the  route  followed  by  the  explorers-, 
from  Santa  Fe,  to  the  Colorado  and  the  Moqui  pueblos  was. 
attached  to  the  original  diario,  but  it  is  presumedly  lost  or 
destroyed,  for  the  assistant  librarian  of  the  Nationall 
Library,  Mexico  City,  writes  us  that  he  had  not  succeeded  in 
finding  any  trace  of  it.  That  this  map  existed,  in  1777,  we; 
know  from  the  letter  written  by  the  Marques  de  Croix,  fromi 
Mexico  City,  to  the  viceroy  of  New  Mexico,  Mindinueta.   The? 


THE    CATHOLIC    CHURCH   IN   UTAH  99 

Marques  dates  his  letter  30th  July,  1777,  and  thanks  Mindi- 
nueta  for  having  forwarded  to  him  the  journals  and  map 
(Diarios  y  Mapa)  of  the  two  priests. 

Scarcely  giving  himself  time  to  recover  from  the  exhaus- 
tion of  his  wanderings  over  mountains  and  deserts,  the  tire- 
less missionary  now  sets  out  on  foot  for  the  pueblo  of  Santa 
Ana  of  the  Beneme,  high  up  near  the  head  waters  of  the  Rio 
Grande,  where  a  mission  had  been  opened  some  years  before 
by  Father  Jose  Oronso. 

We  next  hear  of  him  in  the  Zuni  mission  village  of  San 
Ildefonso,  where  he  dwells  four  months  catechizing  and  in- 
structing the  Indians. 

From  the  Zuni  country  he  is  called  by  his  provincial,  or 
religious  superior,  Juan  Morn,  to  collect  and  examine  the 
documents  and  archives  found  in  Santa  Fe,  and  codify  them. 

Unfortunately,  the  most  important  records  and  manu- 
scripts were  destroyed  in  the  uprising  and  massacre  of  1680. 
The  issue  of  his  researches,  begun  in  April,  1778,  and  extend- 
ing over  a  period  of  some  years,  resulted  in  the  publication, 
in  Spanish,  of  his  "Carta,"  or  epistle,  and  his  "Archivio  de 
Nuevo  Mexico."  These  invaluable  works  are  printed  in  the 
third  series  of  the  documentary  history  of  Mexico,  and  the 
original  manuscripts  are  to  be  found  among  the  general 
archives  of  Mexico. 

In  the  carta,  or  letter,  to  his  ecclesiastical  superior, 
Father  Escalante  says  that  the  Navajo-Apaches  came  to 
Santa  Fe  in  the  month  of  July  every  year  from  their  hunting 
grounds  on  the  upper  Chama  to  barter  dried  meat  skins  and 
captives  taken  in  battle.  If  they  failed  to  sell  or  exchange 
their  prisoners  for  grain  or  provisions  they  led  them  aside 
and  slaughtered  them.  When  the  king  of  Spain  was  told  of 
this  atrocious  custom  he  gave  orders  that,  at  the  expense  of 
his  majesty,  all  unsold  or  unredeemed  prisoners  were  to  be 
purchased.  In  the  same  letter  he  mentions  that  in  the  au- 
tumn of  1696,  the  French  Huguenots,  who  lived  on  the  dis- 
tant frontier  of  the  province,  were  reported  to  have  extermi- 
nated four    thousand  Apaches,  who    attacked  the    friendly 


IOO  THE  CATHOLIC  CHURCH   IN   UTAH 

tribes  which  the  Huguenots  had  taken  under  their  protec- 
tion. 

After  completing  the  annals  of  New  Mexico  the  heroic 
priest  retired  to  the  Franciscan  college  at  Queretaro,  Mexico. 
Of  him  we  may  repeat  what  Elliott  Coues  writes  of  Father 
Garces  in  the  introduction  to  his  work,  "On  the  Trail  of  a 
Spanish  Pioneer":  "He  was  a  true  soldier  of  the  cross, 
neither  greater  nor  lesser  than  thousands  of  other  children 
of  Holy  Church.  Poor,  like  Jesus,  he  so  loved  his  fellow 
man  that  he  was  ready  to  die  for  him.  What  more  could 
man  do?" 


"Rock  of  Ages" — Provo  Canyon. 


CHAPTER  XII 

THE   "GREAT  BASIN." 

Why  the  Franciscans  Did  Not  Enter  the  Basin — Area  of  the 
Basin — Its  Primordial  State — Its  Deserts  and  Moun- 
tains— Fright  fid  Solitude  Aived  Exploration — The  Wa- 
satch Range — i(Tierra  de  los  Padres" — Animal  Life  of 
Great  Basin — Junipero  Serra  Enters  at  the  South — 
Tribes  Within  the  Basin — Franciscans  Begin  to  Civilize 
Them — Seeking  a  Trans-Territorial  Route. 

We  have  occasionally  been  asked  by  students  of  Ameri- 
can history,  and  have  now  and  then  in  magazines  and  peri- 
odicals, met  the  question  why  the  Catholic  Church  in  America 
had  not  at  any  time  organized  missions  among  the  Chey- 
ennes,  the  Shoshones,  the  Bannocks  and  other  inland  tribes. 
And  we  have  always  answered  in  the  words  of  our  divine 
Lord:  "The  harvest  indeed  is  great,  but  the  laborers  are 
few."  When  that  wonderful  priest,  Junipero  Serra,  the 
apostle  of  California,  lay  dying  in  his  little  monastery  at 
Santa  Barbara,  he  turned  to  the  mournful  companions  at  his 
bedside  and  said:  "Pray  ye,  therefore,  the  Lord  of  the  har- 
vest that  He  send  forth  laborers  into  His  vineyard." 

Extending  about  880  miles  from  north  to  south  and  600 
miles  from  east  to  west,  spreading  over  an  area  of  210,000 
square  miles,  is  a  vast  region  of  mountain  and  desert  to 
which  Fremont,  on  his  exploring  expedition  of  1844,  gave 
the  name  of  the  "Great  Basin."  This  colossal  inland  de- 
pression takes  in  the  western  half  of  Utah,  including  San- 
Pete,  Sevier  Summit,  and  Utah  counties,  and  includes  almost 
the  entire  state  of  Nevada.  In  southeastern  Oregon  the 
Basin  absorbs  a  large  territory  and  steals  a  portion  of  land 
from  southeastern  Idaho  and  southwestern  Wyoming.  It 
passes  into  California,  extending  along  its  eastern  border, 
and,  leaping  to  the  southern  end  of  the  state,  collects  Im- 


102  THE   CATHOLIC   CHURCH   IN   UTAH 

perial  Valley,  San  Diego  county,  and  portions  of  Lower 
California  into  its  tremendous  maw.  Towards  the  east  it 
touches  the  drainage  basin  of  the  Colorado  river,  and  on  the 
west  it  is  bounded  by  the  basins  of  the  San  Joaquin,  the  Sac- 
ramento and  many  lesser  streams.  The  crest  of  the  huge 
Sierra  Nevada  forms  the  great  divide  for  the  falling  and 
flowing  waters,  and  further  south  towering  mountains  hold 
its  drainage  within  its  territory.  Within  the  basin  are  pleas- 
ant valleys,  whose  alluvial  slopes  and  floors  were  raised  by 
the  detritus  accumulating  for  uncounted  ages  from  the  sur- 
rounding mountains.  Here,  too,  deserts  of  repellant  aspect 
were  formed,  and  among  them  are  the  Great  Salt  Lake  and 
Carson  desolations  of  sand  and  alkali,  the  Colorado  and  the 
burning  Moyave  of  the  southwest.  The  Sevier,  the  Ralston, 
the  Amargosa  and  the  Escalante  wastes  of  sand  occupy  their 
own  places  in  this  marvelous  formation,  but  are  of  subordi- 
nate importance.  Enclosed  within  the  Basin  are  the  dreaded 
Death  Valley,  the  Salton  Sink  and  Coahuila  Desert,  all  of 
them  lying  below  the  face  of  the  Pacific. 

Across  this  desolation  of  wilderness,  for  almost  a  thou- 
sand miles  from  north  to  south  in  a  series  of  rugged  ranges, 
huge  mountains  battled  with  the  clouds.  Their  gloomy  for- 
ests of  pine  and  fir,  their  gorges  of  horrent  depths  and  sus- 
tained silence,  their  fierce  and  forbidding  mien,  terrified  ex- 
ploration and  enveloped  their  weird  solitudes  in  fearsome 
mystery. 

Of  all  the  great  and  wondrous  regions  within  the  conti- 
nents of  North  and  South  America  this  vast,  untrodden  ter- 
ritory was  the  most  desolate,  the  most  inaccessible,  the  wild- 
est. Here  were  lonely  and  repellant  deserts,  waterless,  wind- 
swept and  snake-infested,  and  ranges  of  impassable  moun- 
tains, through  whose  gloomy  openings  the  wind  rushed  with 
terrific  roar,  and  in  whose  dark  and  sullen  gorges  the  snow 
was  piled  in  deep  and  billowy  drifts.  To  the  west  the  Ne- 
vadas,  pine-clad  and  snow-crowned,  barred  the  pass,  and 
sweeping  plateaux  stretched  for  distances  in  uninviting  re- 
pose.    Here,  too,  the  yet    unnamed   Wasatch    and    Uintah 


Fatheu  J.  Sekra, 
Franciscan  Who  Planted  the  Cross  in  California  July  1G,  1709. 


THE    CATHOLIC    CHURCH   IN   UTAH  103 

mountains  raised  to  a  sky  of  frosted  blue  hoary  heads  split- 
ting the  racing  clouds,  which  drove  tempestuously  against 
them.  Then  the  almost  boundless  wastes  of  desolations  of 
sand  within  this  terrifying  region,  sweeping  for  hundreds  of 
miles  in  dreary  solitude  and  sterility,  where  no  grass  grew 
or  water  flowed,  raised  a  barrier  to  exploration  and  awed  the 
stoutest  heart  that  dared  to  enter. 

Breaking  away  towards  the  south  and  southwest  and  out- 
side this  cyclopean  triangle  was  the  "Tierra  de  los  Padres — 
the  Land  of  the  Fathers,"  so  called  by  the  early  Spaniards 
after  the  Franciscan  priests,  Tomas  Garces,  Pedro  Font, 
Velez  Escalante,  Atanasio  Dominguez  and  others  who  ex- 
plored, mapped  and  described  the  region.  Beyond  the  ex- 
plored land  there  lay,  late  even  in  the  eighteenth  century,  an 
unknown  wilderness.  From  the  genesis  of  the  French-Cana- 
dian trapper  and  the  establishment  of  the  far-reaching  fur 
companies,  these  parched  deserts  of  sage  brush  and  alkali, 
and  these  tremendous  mountains,  extending  from  western 
Colorado  to  southeastern  California  and  from  the  British 
possessions  to  the  boundary  of  Mexico,  were  known  as  the 
"Great  American  Desert." 

Over  this  unexplored  territory  of,  let  us  say,  ten  degrees 
of  latitude  and  fifteen  of  longitude,  roamed  wild  horses  and 
enormous  herds  of  buffalo;  here  the  coyote,  the  mountain 
lion,  the  panther  and  the  dreaded  grizzly  bear  prowled,  and 
the  wild  sheep  of  tlie  Rockies  sought  its  food. 

Within  this  tremendous  desolation  of  solitude  tribes  and 
bands  of  a  sun-scorched  and  wind-tanned  race  hunted  the 
wild  beast  and  warred  upon  each  other.  Raw-meat  eaters 
and  human-flesh  devourers  they  were,  who  had  descended  to 
the  lowest  barbarism,  and  many  of  them  to  savagery.  Their 
habitations  were  wind-breaks,  hovels  or  tents  of  skin,  within 
which  grizzled  warriors,  hideous  and  shriveled  old  women, 
young  boys  aspiring  to  become  braves,  and  girls  ripening 
into  maturity,  noisy  children  and  dogs,  mingled  indiscrimi- 
nately together.  There  was  no  modesty  to  be  shocked,  no 
decency    to    be    insulted,    no    refinement    of    feeling    to    be 


104  THE   CATHOLIC   CHURCH   IN    UTAH 

wounded;  for  modesty,  decency  and  refinement  were  dead 
centuries  before  the  Spanish  priest  lifted  the  cross  in  the 
New  World.  They  were  naked  and  not  ashamed,  animalized 
in  their  instincts  and  beastly  in  their  lusts. 

They  had  never  seen  a  man  of  whiter  color  than  their 
own ;  they  knew  nothing  of  a  world  beyond  their  own  hunting- 
grounds;  they  had  their  own  languages,  their  own  customs, 
manners  and  superstitious  rites  to  which  they  were  fanatic- 
ally attached,  and  which  they  were  prepared  to  defend,  even 
unto  death.  They  had  never  heard  of  a  chaste  wife,  of  a 
pure  maiden;  their  language  could  not  give  expression  to 
modesty,  and  carried  no  word  for  chastity.  Into  their  vil- 
lages a  stranger  entered  at  his  peril,  for  among  them,  as 
among  the  Nasamonian  tribes  mentioned  by  Heroditus, 
a  stranger  meant  an  enemy,  an  alien  was  a  foe. 

To  the  men  and  women  of  the  same  race,  dwelling  on  the 
fringes  of  the  Great  Basin  the  greatest  civilizing  power  tha 
world  has  ever  known,  or  ever  will  know — the  Catholic 
Church — had,  early  in  the  seventeenth  century,  carried  the 
light  of  civilization.  This  wonderful  Church  was  now,  1774, 
preparing  to  march  to  the  redemption  of  the  wandering 
hordes  within  the  Basin.  Already  (1770)  its  southern  rim 
had  been  crossed  by  Fray  Junipero  Serra,  that  extraordi- 
nary priest,  who  opened  a  mission  to  the  Deguens  at  San 
Diego  and  established  the  missions  of  San  Gabriel  and  Mon- 
terey, Southern  California.  Monterey  now  became  a  port 
of  entry  for  goods  shipped  from  Spain  and  southern  Mexico, 
and  if  a  road  could  be  found  from  Monterey  to  Santa  Fe, 
New  Mexico,  it  would  be  of  incalculable  advantage  in  trans- 
porting troops  and  supplies  to  the  New  Mexican  capital. 

The  Franciscan  missionaries  laboring  with  the  tribes  of 
the  Rio  Grande  were  at  once  seized  of  the  benefit  such  a  high- 
way would  be  to  them  in  the  conversion  to  Christianity  of 
the  roaming  hordes  and  sedentary  clans  to  the  north  and 
east  of  New  Mexico.  To  provide  clothing  for  themselves,  to 
furnish  their  churches  becomingly,  and  house  a  liberal  sup- 
ply of  gifts  for  the  Indians,  who  were  ravenous  for  presents, 


-^ 


B— — 


Cliff  Dwellers'  Tower,  Nine  Mile  Canyon,  Utah. 


THE   CATHOLIC    CHURCH   IN   UTAH  105 

and  between  whom  and  the  priests  there  could  be  no  friendly 
parley  till  the  chiefs,  sub-chiefs  and  fighters  were  placated 
with  gifts,  taxed  the  ingenuity  of  the  Fathers  and  exhausted 
their  slender  resources. 

The  expense  of  shipping  supplies  from  Spain  to  Vera 
Cruz,  on  the  Caribbean  Sea,  and  thence  by  burro  train  to 
Mexico  City,  and  from  there  through  El  Paso  to  Santa  Fe, 
was  disheartening;  but  now  that  Monterey  was  founded  it 
would  be  of  incalculable  benefit  to  the  Franciscans  to  open 
a  road  to  the  coast. 

When  Father  Junipero  Serra,  head  of  the  California  mis- 
sions, was  in  Mexico  City  in  1773  he  advised  the  viceroy  to 
send  out  two  surveys,  one  to  search  for  a  route  from  Sonora 
to  Monterey,  and  the  other  to  explore  the  territory  and  open 
a  trail  between  Santa  Fe  and  the  sea. 

The  suggestion  of  Serra  was  acted  upon,  and,  in  1774,  an 
exploring  party  under  Captain  Anza  started  from  Sonora  for 
the  coast.  In  the  same  year  Father  Francis  Garces,  the  resi- 
dent missionary  among  the  Papagoes  at  San  Xavier  del  Bac, 
Arizona,  was  written  to  for  his  opinion  on  the  prospects  of 
opening  a  commercial  highway  from  Santa  Fe  to  the  Bay  of 
Monterey. 

At  about  the  same  time  Father  Velez  Escalante,  who  had 
returned  from  a  visit  to  the  Moqui  towns  and  was  now  with 
the  Zunis,  was  also  consulted.  Escalante  replied  that  he  was 
almost  certain  a  way  to  Monterey  could  be  discovered  by 
passing  west  by  northwest  through  the  lands  of  the  Yutas. 
This  report  of  Escalante  was  sent  by  an  Indian  runner  to 
"Fray  Garces,  who  had  already,  in  1774-1775,  made  four  "en- 
iradas,"  or  expeditions,  had  explored  the  regions  of  Colorado 
and  the  Gila,  and  reported  extensively  on  the  regional  lands 
and  tribes.  His  explorations  were  afterwards  most  inter- 
estingly described  in  his  journal  under  the  title,  Diario  y 
derrotero  que  sequio  el  M.  R.  P.  Fr.  Francisco'  Garces 
<en  su  viaje  hecho  desde  Octobre  de  1775  hasta  17  de 
iSetiembre  de  1776  el  Rio  Colorado,  para  reconnocer  las 
maciones   que   habitan  sus  Mar  genes,  y    a   los  pueblos    del 


106  THE  CATHOLIC  CHURCH   IN  UTAH 

Moqui  del  Nuevo -Mexico."  This  (Mario  is  printed  in  the 
same  volume  of  the  Documentos  para  el  Historia  de  Mexico, 
preceding  the  diario  of  Escalante  and  Dominguez,  beginning 
on  page  225. 

Advising  on.  the  route  outlined  by  Escalante,  Garces 
heads  his  letter  as  follows: 

"C aminos  que  puedor  servir  a  la  communication  de  est  as 
provincias  y  el  Nuevo  Mexico,  con  Monterey" — Routes  which 
may  serve  for  communication  between  these  regions  and  be- 
tween Mexico  and  Monterey.- — Punto,  VI. 

Under  Punto  VII. :  ' '  Concerning  some  suggestions  sent 
to  Mexico  by  the  Rev.  Father  Silvestre  Velez  de  Escalante, 
missionary  with  the  Zunis  in  the  year  1775,"  he  writes: 
"The  contention  of  the  reverend  Father  that  a  road  should 
be  sought  through  the  lands  of  the  Yutas  appears  to  me  to 
be  all  right,  provided  that  the  transit  passes  through  the 
country  of  the  Yutas  who,  I  am  told,  are  friends  of  the  Span- 
iards (Nuevo-Mexico),  and  who  live  to  the  north  of  the 
Moqui.  Then,  passing  along  the  banks  of  the  Colorado  River,, 
the  route  would  take  a  course  a  little  to  the  southwest,  de- 
scending to  a  small  canyon  where  there  is  a  village  of  the 
Chemequets  (bajar  a  la  Chemequeto  Cajuela),  then  by  the 
San  Filipe.  If  from  the  country  of  the  Yutas  the  road  is 
taken  west-northwest,  as  the  reverend  Father  mentions,  it  is. 
certain  one  may  arrive  at  the  port  of  San  Francisco  and  go> 
on  to  Monterey,  if  not  stopped  by  the  extensive  tulares 
(marsh  lands)  before  mentioned." 

We  have  already  seen  Father  Escalante 's  report  in  favor 
of  this  route. 

On  June  29,  1776,  by  request  of  the  governor  of  New 
Mexico,  Escalante  left  the  Zuni  mission  and  came  to  Santa. 
Fe,  where,  with  Father  Dominguez  and  His  Excellency,  Don 
Pedro  Firmin  de  Mendinueta,  the  subject  was  threshed  out 
and  an  expedition  of  discovery  determined  upon. 


War  Chief  of  the  Uxes, 
Said  to  be  113  Years  Old. 


CHAPTER  XII 


THE    UTE    INDIANS. 


Habits,  Mode  of  Life  and  Manners  of  Tribe — First  Mention 
of  Utes — Raids  of  the  Utes — Attack  Viceregal  Quarters 
— Territory  Claimed  by  Utes — The  "Bendito" — Saluta- 
tion Among  Pueblo  Indians — Ute  Cabins,  Their  Food 
and  Dress  —  Status  of  the  Woman  in  the  Tribe  —  Her 
Degradation — Methods  of  Cooking  Food — The  Ute  War- 
rior— Before  the  Fight  and  After — Habits  of  the  Tribe 
— Village  Life — Absence  of  All  Morality. 

Before  tracing  the  route  and  following'  the  footsteps  of 
Fathers  Escalante  and  Dominguez  we  ought  to  know  some- 
thing of  the  habits,  mode  of  living  and  customs  of  the  tribe 
from  which  Utah  and  Utah  Lake  take  their  names,  so  that, 
when  the  priests  introduce  us  to  the  people  of  the  region, 
they  may  not  be  entire  strangers  to  us,  nor  their  manner  of 
life  altogether  unfamiliar.  Before  the  middle  of  the  eigh- 
teenth century  very  little  was  known  of  the  Ute  Indians. 

They  were  not  at  any  known  time  a  sedentary  or  agricul- 
tural tribe,  but  were  intermittently  rovers,  marauders  or 
raiders.  In  the  southwest  they  intermarried  with  the 
Apaches,  from  which  unions  sprang  the  Jicari  11a- Apaches, 
and  from  whom  the  Puaguampes  of  Salt  Lake — the  sorcer- 
ers— referred  to  in  Escalante 's  journal,  were  descended. 

In  1676,  during  the  administration  of  Governor  Otermin, 
the  Utes  are  mentioned  for  the  first  time  in  the  annals  of 
New  Mexico.  A  tribal  group  of  the  nation  then  occupied  the 
northern  plains  of  Mexico.  They  are  referred  to  again  in 
1761,  when  they  were  raiding  the  lands  of  the  Taos  and 
Spanish  settlers,  stealing  horses  and  cattle,  killing  here,  and 
there,  but  dodging  an  open  fight  and  fleeing  when  attacked. 
From  a  state  manuscript  we  learn  that  in  1844  the  Utes 
raided  through  the  valley  of  the  Rio  Arriba,  N.  M.,  doing 


108  THE   CATHOLIC    CHURCH   IN   UTAH 

much  damage  to  the  property  of  the  residents,  and  particu- 
larly the  inhabitants  of  the  town  and  neighborhood  of 
Abiquiu.  The  governor,  Manuel  Armijo,  when  informed  by 
Colonel  Juan  Archuleta  of  the  depredations  of  the  Utes, 
began  preparations  for  organizing  a  punitive  expedition 
against  the  tribe,  when  he  himself  was  attacked  in  his  own 
quarters  by  Ute  warriors.  The  Indians  were  repulsed,  losing 
eight  of  their  fighters. 

The  Utes,  according  to  Major  Powell  and  other  ethnolo- 
gists, are  a  linguistic  branch  of  a  Shoshonean  trunk,  of  which 
the  Comanches,  the  Gosiutes,  the  Paiutes,  the  Paviotsos,  the 
Bannocks,  the  Tobikhars  and  Tusayans  were  branches. 

The  divisionary  state  lines  of  to-day  make  it  difficult  to 
determine  with  any  approach  to  accuracy  the  regions  roamed 
over  by  the  Utes  in  the  days  of  the  Franciscan  explorers. 
Tribes  and  sub-tribes  of  the  nation  occupied  the  central  and 
western  parts  of  Colorado,  northern  New  Mexico  and  south- 
eastern Utah,  including  the  eastern  portions  of  Salt  Lake  and 
Utah  valleys.  It  is  only  from  fragmentary  passages  found 
here  and  there  in  the  letters  of  the  Franciscan  missionaries 
and  reports  of  Spanish  explorers  that  we  are  able  to  deter- 
mine, even  approximately,  the  lands  claimed  by  the  separate 
tribes.  When,  in  1776,  Father  Garces  was  exploring  the  ter- 
ritory and  preaching  to  the  tribes  between  the  Gila  and  the 
Chiquito  Colorado,  one  of  his  guides,  a  Moquino  Indian,  when 
he  saw  the  Colorado  River,  chanted  the  entire  "Bendito  y 
Alabado"  with  little  difference  in  intonation  from  that  in 
which  it  is  sung  in  our  missions.  "I  asked  him  who  taught  it 
to  him,  and  he  gave  me  to  understand  that  the  Yutas,  his 
neighbors,  knew  it,  for  they  had  heard  it  many  times  among 
the  Tiquas  of  the  Taos  Mission."  From  this  extract  from 
the  priest's  "diario"  it  would  seem  that  the  Utes  and  the 
Zunis  of  Taos  were  on  friendly  terms,  that  their  lands 
touched,  and  that  there  was  then  a  priest  residing  with  the 
Tiquas  near  the  Colorado  state  line. 

The  "Bendito"  was  a  salutation  taught  by  the  priests  to 
their  converts.     The  little  children's  evening  prayers  always 


UTE    WOMAN    CARRYING    CHILD 


THE    CATHOLIC    CHURCH   IN   UTAH  109 

ended  with  the  words,  "Bendito  y  alabado  sea  el  Santisimo 
Sacramento  del  Altar — Blessed  and  hallowed  be  the  Most 
Holy  Sacrament  of  the  Altar ! ' '  When  a  Christianized  Indian 
met,  in  the  desert  or  on  the  mountain,  another  Indian  he  used 
this  salutation;  and  if  the  other  answered,  "Ave  Maria  Pu- 
rissima — Hail  Mary,  most  Chaste,"  they  embraced  and  were 
friends.  The  ordinary  morning  or  evening  greeting  among 
Pueblo  neighbors  carried  with  it  a  benediction;  it  was: 
"Buenos  dias  le  de  Dios — May  God  bestow  good  days  upon 
thee!"  to  which  the  other  answered:  "Que  Dios  se  los  de 
buenos  a  ud — May  God  grant  you  also  good  days!"  After 
the  Spanish  missionaries  retired  from  the  field  and  the 
Americans  took  possession,  an  altogether  different  form  of 
salutation  was  taught  the  Indian.  Mr.  F.  F.  Beale  writes 
that  in  his  time,  1857,  the  Mojaves  had  learned  enough  En- 
glish to  salute  a  stranger  with:  "God  damn  my  soul,  hell! 
How  d;  do." 

At  the  time  the  Franciscans  stood  on  the  shores  of  Utah 
Lake  and — first  of  white  men — looked  out  upon  its  pleasant 
waters,  the  Ute  Indians  of  the  valley  beheld  for  the  first 
time  men  differing  from  themselves  in  complexion  and  al- 
most everything  except  in  the  specific  sum  of  character  by 
which  a  man  is  a  man  all  the  world  over. 

The  habits,  traits  of  character,  customs  and  manners  of 
the  Utes  of  the  valley  with  whom  the  priests  came  into  imme- 
diate contact  represented  fairly  well  those  of  the  whole  Ute 
group  or  nation  in  its  almost  primitive  state  and  before  the 
tribe  became  contaminated  by  association  with  adventurers 
and  degenerate  whites. 

The  Indians  of  the  valley  then  dwelt  in  cabins  of  rude 
construction,  and  were  grouped  together  in  scattered  vil- 
lages, or  more  often  in  straggling  bourgs.  These  wretched 
squattings  were  but  temporary  abodes;  for  when  conditions 
were  unfavorable,  or  a  contagious  or  malignant  disease  vis- 
ited their  encampment,  they  burned  their  cabins  and  chose 
another  site. 

Their  miserable  shelters  were  more  often  wind-breaks  than 


110  THE   CATHOLIC   CHURCH   IJST    UTAH 

huts,  but  where  cabins  were  thrown  up  they  were  formed 
from  branches  of  the  artemisia,  cane  and  brush,  or  limbs  of 
the  cotton  wood.  In  winter  these  cabins  were  heated  by  a 
ground  fire  the  smoke  of  which  escaped  through  an  opening 
in  the  roof  and  the  interstices  of  the  sides.  At  times,  when 
the  winds  rushed  into  the  valley  from  the  canyons,  the  smoke 
became  so  dense  that  the  women  and  children  were  forced  to 
lie  low  with  their  faces  to  the  earth  breathing  as  best  they 
could.  Within  these  wretched  shacks  there  were  no  separate 
rooms  or  divisions,  no  beds,  no  seats,  no  convenience  of  any 
kind  save  the  earth  or  the  skins  of  wild  animals  captured  in 
the  chase.  They  supported  life  on  fish,  the  flesh  of  wild  ani- 
mals and  reptiles,  on  grubs  and  roots  and,  in  season,  on 
seeds,  berries  and  wild  fruits. 

They  knew  nothing  of  bread,  salt,  pepper,  sugar  or  vege- 
tables. 

In  summer  the  men  roamed  entirely  naked  or  wore  only 
the  breech-cloth;  the  women  dressed  more  decently,  but  the 
boys  and  girls  under  ten  or  eleven  years  went  nude. 

The  care  of  the  hut,  the  cutting  and  gathering  of  fire 
wood,  the  dressing  of  skins,  in  fact  the  drudgery  of  the  camp 
among  the  Utes,  as  among  all  savages,  was  the  woman's 
portion.  She  and  her  children  gathered  the  wild  berries  and 
seeds,  grubbed  for  worms  and  field  mice,  cut  and  carried  the 
wild  sage  and  cooked  the  food.  Knowing  nothing  of  pot  or 
oven,  she  either  dug  a  hole  in  the  ground  which  she  plastered 
and  fired,  or  found  a  hollow  block  of  wood,  which  served  her 
for  stove  and  fire  place. 

With  stones  heated  in  a  fire  she  boiled  the  water  in  the 
hole  or  hollow  block,  and  threw  in  scraps  of  rabbit  flesh, 
fragments  of  snakes  and  reptiles,  handfuls  of  seed  and  pieces 
of  deer  meat,  and  on  this  stew  fed  her  husband  and  children. 

The  husband  posed  as  a  hunter  and  warrior,  and  his 
warrior's  dignity  would  not  permit  him  to  stoop  to  menial 
work;  his  time  was  given  to  slothful  ease,  to  gambling,  gos- 
siping with  his  neighbors,  to  fighting,  hunting  or  attending 
feasts  where  he  danced  all  night  and  devoured  everything  set 


U.  S.  Nat.  Mu.  Frame  Back 

UTE  CRADLE,  FRAME   OF    RODS   COVERED   WITH    BUCKSKIN 
Carried  on  the  back. 


THE   CATHOLIC    CHURCH   IN   UTAH  111 

before  him.  When  the  weather  was  very  cold  and  storms 
were  in  the  valley  he  sat  on  a  bear  skin  by  the  fire  fashioning 
bows  and  arrows,  rat  and  rabbit  sticks  and  making  traps 
and  nets.  He  made  his  own  weapons,  offensive  and  defensive, 
his  shield  of  the  buffalo  hide,  his  spear  and  war  club,  his 
scalping  knife  of  flint,  his  scalp  shirt,  war  bonnet  and  flesher. 

The  Ute  warrior  had  all  the  fighting  qualities  and  charac- 
teristics of  the  American  Indian.  When  he  entered  on  the  war 
path  in  summer  he  wore  the  breech-cloth  and  moccasins  and 
in  winter  the  skin  tunic;  but  winter  or  summer,  when  about 
to  close  with  his  enemy,  he  stripped  to  the  nude  and  frequent- 
ly entered  the  fight  with  his  body  greased.  Suspended  from 
his  neck  or  hidden  in  his  hair  was  his  medicine  bag,  within 
which  was  a  feather,  a  claw  of  an  animal,  a  head  of  a  bird 
or  some  sacred  powder.  If  killed  in  the  fray  and  his  party 
defeated,  his  scalp  was  torn  from  his  head,  and  his  body  de- 
voured by  his  enemy  or  left  upon  the  field  to  be  eaten  by 
wolves. 

Over  the  weaker  tribes  whom  they  had  conquered  or  de- 
feated in  battle  the  Utes  manifested  a  haughty  and  domineer- 
ing attitude,  and  when  they  secured  and  learned  how  to  man- 
age horses — stolen  probably  from  the  Hopis  of  Northeastern 
Arizona  or  from  the  Pueblolndians  of  the  upperBio  Grande — 
they  became  insulting  and  defiant.  But  when  they  were 
whipped  by  the  Spaniards  or  by  the  Comanches  and  driven 
to  the  mountains  they  became  a  mob  of  cowards  and  pol- 
troons. 

Of  their  organization  and  numbers  in  early  Spanish  times 
we  have  no  positive  information.  The  Ute  nation  may  have 
organized  into  a  confederacy  of  tribes  for  mutual  protection,, 
like  the  five  tribes  of  the  Iroquois  or  those  of  the  Apache,  but 
we  have  no  proof  of  it.  As  they  boasted  to  be  able  to  throw 
three  thousand  warriors  into  action  and  claimed  hunting 
rights  over  a  very  wide  territory,  they  must  have  formed  a 
formidable  and  numerically  strong  nation. 

The  chiefs  or  head  men  were  chosen  for  their  offices,  in 
most  instances,  for  their  strength,  swiftness  of  foot,  their 


112  THE   CATHOLIC    CHURCH   IN   UTAH 

bravery  and  endurance  of  fatigue  or  pain,  their  strategy  in 
war  or  cunning  in  the  hunt. 

When  the  tribe  was  at  peace  with  those  beyond  their 
hunting  ground,  the  warrior  who  was  most  popular,  the  man 
of  good  standing  in  the  community,  was  the  man  who  did  no 
harm  to  others,  who  lived  peaceably  with  his  neighbors,  who 
attended  and  took  a  prominent  part  in  the  orgies  and  feasts. 
These  feasts  were  often  shameful  carousals,  where  men  and 
women,  young  men  and  maidens,  abandoned  themselves  to 
nude  dances  and  shameful  impudicities.  If  a  natural  instinct 
of  shame  prevailed  upon  a  maiden  to  absent  herself  from 
these  orgies  she  became  a  target  for  the  gibes  and  mockeries 
of  her  companions  and  was  forced  by  mocking  laughter  and 
ridicule  to  conform  to  the  tribal  custom. 

A  singular  fact,  to  which  ancient  and  modern  history 
hears  witness,  is  that  the  further  a  people  stray  aside  from 
the  path  of  morality  and  clean  living,  the  greater  is  the  ten- 
dency to  drift  into  weird  and  shameful  superstitions. 

These  superstitions  in  many  instances  were  associated 
with  their  dreams.  In  fact,  the  credulity  or  belief  of  the  Ute, 
like  that  of  the  Indians  of  the  Canadian  Northwest,  had  its 
origin  in  dreams.  In  the  Archaeological  Report  of  1907, 
compiled  for  the  Canadian  government  by  Dr.  David  Boyle, 
a  stenographic  report  of  the  trial  for  murder  of  Pe-Se-Quan, 
a  Cree  Indian,  is  given  in  full.  Pe-Se-Quan,  believing  his 
wife  had  a  Whetigo — or  was  a  bewitched  person — strangled 
her  according  to  the  custom  of  his  tribe.  Paupanakiss,  a  full- 
blooded  Indian,  being  sworn,  was  examined  by  D.  W. 
McKerchar,  acting  for  the  Attorney-General  of  Canada. 

' '  Question :  What  other  beliefs  did  Chief  Jack  express  to 
you?    Answer:    He  stated  that  he  believed  their  dreams. 

Q. :  What  else  did  he  say  to  you?  A. :  That  that  was  their 
religion;  their  dreams  are  their  religion,  he  said  that  any- 
thing they  dreamed  was  right  for  them,  and  that  by  means 
of  their  dreams  and  singing  and  conjuring  in  the  tent  that 
they  would  see  meat,  moose  and  deer." 

When  the  Spanish  Fathers  entered  Utah  Valley,  the  main 


U.S.  Bu..Eth. 


Ute  Sweat  Housf. 


THE  CATHOLIC  CHURCH   IN  UTAH  113 

body  of  the  Ute  Indians  were  camping  in  the  valleys  of  Grand 
and  Green  rivers,  not  far  from  the  southern  boundary  of  the 
Navajos'  hunting  grounds.  They  were  never  a  sedentary 
people,  roaming  at  one  time  along  the  northern  slope  of  the 
Uintah  mountains  and  at  another  hunting  through  the  hills 
and  canyons  of  the  Wasatch  range.  Having  no  permanent 
villages,  they  depended  on  the  chase  and  fishing  for  subsist- 
ence. 

They  were  a  predatory  people  and  their  many  thefts,  rob- 
beries and  pursuit  of  the  buffalo  into  the  lands  of  neighbor- 
ing tribes  involved  them  in  many  fierce  skirmishes  with  the 
Arapahoes,  Cheyennes  and  their  kinsmen,  the  Bannocks. 
Trails  led  from  their  country  to  Santa  Fe,  and  Spanish  influ- 
ence was  felt  among  them,  even  before  Escalante's  coming. 
When  the  priest,  at  Utah  Lake,  asked  the  young  Indian  how 
many  wives  he  had,  he  hesitated  to  admit  he  had  two,  know- 
ing already  that  his  violation  of  the  unity  of  marriage  was 
opposed  to  the  law  and  religion  of  the  Spaniards. 


CHAPTER  XIV. 


THE  TJTES  AND  THE       SORCEREES. 


Frightful  Contempt  for  Moral  Laiv — Religion  of   Utes — A 
Tissue  of  Absurd  Superstitions — Belief  in  Immortality  of 
Animals — In  Bows,  Arroivs  and  War  Clubs — The  Wah- 
kon- — The  Autmoin,  or  Priest-Doctor — His  Exorcisms — 
Treatment  of  the  Sick — The  Feast  of    the  Dead — The 
"Sorcerers"  of  Salt  Lake — Their  Origin — The  Jacarilla 
— Apache — Simpson's  Experience    with    the    Group  — 
Their  Filthy  Habits — Their  Food — Human  Flesh  Eaters 
— Mourning  Customs  of  the  Women — End  of  the  Fight- 
ing Tribes. 
The  Utes  had  no  thought,  no  idea  of  a  moral  law.    For  a 
woman  to  manifest  shame  was  to  expose  herself  to  ridicule. 
Modesty  in  a  wife  or  daughter  was  a  contradiction  and  an 
absurdity,  a  thing  to  laugh  at,  and  such  was  the  fixity  of 
tribal  opinion  that  a  woman  or  maiden  who  aspired  to  purity 
or  chastity  was  looked  upon  by  the  members  of  her  tribe  as 
an  eccentric  or  as  an  unnatural  being. 

The  religion  of  the  Utes,  if  we  may  use  the  word  to  ex- 
press a  tissue  of  childish  fancies,  was  a  conglomerate  of 
senseless  fables. 

They  worshiped  and  made  supplication  to  the  sun,  the 
moon  and  the  four  cardinal  winds,  accompanied  with  speeches, 
appeals  and  addresses.  They  believed  the  soul  lived  after  it 
left  the  body,  that  a  spirit  body  would  be  given  it,  which, 
with  the  soul,  would  enjoy  all  the  pleasures  of  eating,  sleep- 
ing and  companionship  with  its  friends.  When  a  warrior 
died  all  his  hunting,  fishing  and  war  gear  was  buried  with 
him ;  for,  like  the  Apache,  the  Ute  believed  all  material  things 
to  be  possessed  of  souls.  When,  in  the  summer  of  1775, 
Father  Garces  assisted  at  the  burial  of  an  Apache  brave,  he 
asked  a  grizzled  old  warrior  why  they  buried  with  the  dead 
man  all  the  things  which  were  his  when  he  was  alive.  "Why," 


THE   CATHOLIC    CHURCH   IN   UTAH  115 

answered  the  old  man,  "that  the  dead  may  have  them  to  use 
in  the  other  world,  of  course.  The  bodies  of  pots,  skins, 
knives  and  other  things  remain  in  the  grave  with  the  dead, 
but  the  souls  of  these  things  go  with  the  soul  of  the  dead 
man,  and,  wherever  he  is  in  the  other  world,  he  makes  use 
of  them." 

In  the  hapi)y  hunting  grounds  beyond  the  grave  were  wild 
animals,  spirit  animals,  which  the  departed  Ute,  if  he  were  a 
brave  and  a  neighborly  man  here  on  earth,  hunted  with  his 
spirit-bow,  arrows  and  spear.  When  the  soul  of  a  man  or  a 
woman,  but  not  of  a  child,  went  out  of  its  body  it  came  back 
for  a  time  from  the  spirit  world,  lingering  around  the  en- 
campment, and  ready  to  act  as  a  guide  for  the  souls  of  the 
dying.  For  this  reason  a  Ute  never  voluntarily  passed  by  a 
grave  at  night,  or  went  around  alone  after  dark,  if  any  one 
in  the  village  was  seriously  sick,  for  he  feared  the  spirits  of 
the  dead  waiting  for  the  soul  of  the  dying  man  or  woman. 

Many  of  the  warriors  claimed  to  have  seen  and  spoken 
with  the  spirits  of  the  dead,  whom  they  unwillingly  encoun- 
tered when  compelled  to  be  abroad  on  dark  nights.  Nothing, 
not  even  the  hope  of  good  luck  in  battle  or  the  chase,  could 
tempt  a  Ute  to  enter  a  graveyard  after  dark.  The  Ute  heaven 
lay  far  beyond  the  southern  horizon,  where  the  climate  was 
mild,  the  winds  refreshing  and  game  abundant.  The  cow- 
ardly, the  selfish  and  the  evil  man  dwelt  after  death  in  a  land 
of  perpetual  snow,  ice  and  fierce  winds,  where  he  shivered 
eternally  and  was  always  half-starved. 

Every  brave  carried  about  his  person  his  wah-kon  in  a 
small  bag.  This  wah-kon  was  adopted  by  the  young  boy 
ripening  into  warrior  manhood  after  a  prolonged  fast  in 
some  lonely  retreat  in  the  mountains.  It  might  be,  according 
to  his  dreams,  a  little  dried  up  or  stuffed  bird,  a  weasel's 
skin,  a  feather,  a  small  bone,  the  tooth  or  claw  of  an  animal, 
or  sometimes  a  small  piece  of  meteoric  stone.  Within  it  dwelt 
his  protecting  spirit.  This  wah-kon  once  put  on,  never  left 
his  person.  He  guarded  it  as  carefully  as  a  miser  his  gold, 
addressed  it  in  familiar  terms,  and  appealed  to  it  for  help  in 
every  emergency. 


IK)  THE   CATHOLIC    CHURCH   IN   UTAH 

A  very  singular  belief  of  the  Ute  was  his  faith  in  the  oc- 
cult power  of  the  tribal  sorcerer  or  shaman,  called  autmoin 
by  the  early  French  trappers.  With  the  diseases  of  his  body, 
for  wh'ch  he  could  account,  he  resorted  to  restoratives  and 
natural  remedies,  such  as  fasting,  dietary,  medicinal  plants 
and  copious  sweating.  But  if  he  believed  he  was  the  victim  of 
some  exceptional  malady,  the  origin  of  which  he  was  unable 
to  explain,  he  sent  for  the  autmoin  to  learn  the  cause  of  his 
sickness  and  to  avert  its  evil  effects.  This  shaman  was  gener- 
ally half  quack  and  half  fanatic,  who  pretended  to  supernal 
knowledge  and  power.  Among  the  Utes,  as  among  all  the 
North  American  Indians,  the  shaman  was  held  in  fear  and 
reverence,  and  enjoyed  great  authority  and  influence  with  the 
tribe.  When  the  shaman  examined  the  sick  man  he  pro- 
nounced the  disease  to  be  caused  by  a  vindictive  imp  then 
dwelling  in  the  body  of  the  suffering  man.  He  began  at  once 
a  series  of  exorcisms  and  incantations.  If,  by  suction  and 
pounding,  he  failed  to  dispossess  the  evil  spirit,  he  predicted 
the  day  on  which  the  sick  man  would  die.  If,  on  the  day 
foretold,  the  man  showed  no  signs  of  dying  his  friends 
poured  pots  of  cold  water  over  him  to  help  him  leave  this 
world  and  to  hasten  his  death.  They  rattled  the  schis-chi-kue 
in  his  ears,  shook  their  medicine  or  amulets,  among  which 
was  the  bear's  paw  that  hung  beside  him,  shouted  to  him  it 
was  time  to  go,  to  go  now,  that  his  father,  mother,  and  friends 
waited  for  him  in  the  spirit  land. 

If  the  condemned  man  was  a  person  of  some  importance, 
a  chief  or  the  head  of  a  large  family,  he  summoned  to  his  side 
his  wives  and  children  and  delivered  his  final  message.  After 
he  had  finished  his  discourse,  his  friends  were  invited  in  and 
all  present,  at  once,  began  the  Tabigie;  that  is,  the  funeral 
feast,  when  all  the  edibles  in  the  hut  were  devoured.  Ani- 
mals, such  as  rabbits,  coyotes  and  dogs,  were  then  strangled 
to  death  so  that  their  souls  would  announce  to  those  in  the 
other  world  the  immediate  coming  of  the  dying  warrior.  The 
bodies  of  the  animals  were  then  chopped  up,  boiled  and  eaten. 
When  the  feast  was  over  the  neighbors  retired  and  the  wives 


THE    CATHOLIC    CHURCH   IN   UTAH  117 

began  to  weep  and  howl,  tearing  out  their  hair,  and,  with 
obsidian  knives,  cutting  gashes  in  their  limbs  and  bodies. 

To  dwell  longer  on  the  superstitious  manners  and  customs 
of  the  Utes  is  beyond  the  paginal  limit  and  scope  of  this  his- 
tory, so  we  pass  from  the  tribe  of  Utah  Valley  to  the  "Sor- 
cerers" of  Great  Salt  Lake.  Who  then  were  the  Puaguampes, 
who,  at  the  time  of  the  visit  of  the  priests,  were  on  no  friend- 
ly terms  with  the  tribe  of  Utah  Valley! 

Would  it  surprise  the  reader  to  be  told  that  all  France, 
Italy,  Spain  and  a  few  minor  European  commonwealths  taken 
as  a  whole,  would  barely  represent  the  area  of  the  region  held, 
till  historically  very  recently,  by  an  Indian  people  whose 
name  is  probably  unknown  to  any  student  in  our  high 
schools,  colleges  and  universities  | 

Fifty  years  ago  there  was  no  race  of  people  in  the  world 
jess  known  than  the  Northern  Denes,  from  whom  descended 
the  fighting  Apaches  and  the  Navajos.  For  a  time  this  Atha- 
bascan nation  was  thought  to  be  Algonquin,  till  Horatio  Hale, 
Major  Powell  and  that  distinguished  Oblate  Missionary  and 
ethnologist,  Father  Morice,  proved  them  to  be  a  great  and 
separate  nation. 

West  of  the  Rocky  Mountains  the  Denes  roamed  through 
five  and  one-half  degrees  of  latitude,  to  the  borders  of  the 
Eskimo  hunting  grounds. 

Some  time  in  the  remote  past,  why  or  when  we  do  not  know, 
a  tribal  family  or  group  of  Denes  separated  from  their  parent 
stock  and  wandered  into  south  and  southwestern  lands.  Two 
facts  alone  seem  to  be  established,  namely,  the  drifting  apart 
of  the  southern  members  of  the  Athabascan  nation,  resulting 
in  a  disruption  of  national  unity  and  the  formation  of  three 
distinct  bodies — the  Athabascan,  the  Apache  and  the  Nav- 
ajos. For  hundreds,  it  may  be  thousands,  of  years,  two  vig- 
orous branches  of  the  great  Dene  tree  lived  and  thrived 
apace,  knowing  nothing  of  their  parent  trunk.  These  off- 
shoots took  root  and  flourished  in  Arizona,  Northeastern 
California,  Oklahoma  and  Colorado.  "These,"  (the  Denes) 
writes     the     ethnologist     Brinton,    "extended    interruptedly 


118  THE   CATHOLIC   CHURCH   IN   UTAH 

from  the  Arctic  Sea  to  the  borders  of  Durango,  Mexico,  and 
from  Hudson  Bay  to  the  Pacific  Ocean." 

Early  in  the  sixteenth  century  a  wandering  family  of 
Apaches  (Dines)  intermarried  with  a  Ute  family,  from  which 
union  sprang  the  Jacarilla- Apache,  better  known  as  Apaches- 
Vaqueros,  and  as  the  Yuta-Jenne.  (Geografia  de  las 
Lenguas,  by  Orozco  y  Berra).  The  Puaguampes  of  Salt  Lake 
were  an  outlawed  band  of  Jacarillas  rejected  by  Ute  and 
Apache.  When,  in  1859,  Lieutenant  Simpson  was  on  his  offi- 
cial survey  of  the  Great  Salt  Lake  region,  he  encountered  the 
Puaguampes  on  the  northwestern  shore  of  Salt  Lake.  They 
were  then  the  Pi-eeds,  the  "  snake-eaters, "  though  Simpson, 
unfortunately,  omits  their  name  in  his  "Report." 

Simpson  got  enough  of  them,  and  gives  expression  to  his 
loathing  in  vigorous  terms;  he  writes:  "They  are  more 
filthy  than  beasts,  and  live  in  habitations  which,  summer  and 
winter,  are  nothing  more  than  circular  inclosures  about  three 
feet  high,  made  of  sage  brush  and  cedar  branches,  and  which 
serve  only  to  break  off  the  wind.  Their  vocabulary  shows 
them  to  be  a  distinct  tribe.  Children  at  the  breast  were  per- 
fectly naked  and  this  at  a  time  when  overcoats  were  required 
by  us.  I  visited  one  of  their  dens  or  wikiups;  the  offal 
around  and  within  a  few  feet  of  it  was  so  offensive  as  to 
cause  my  stomach  to  reach  and  force  me  to  retreat. ' ' 

These  animalized  people  fed  on  roasted  grass-hoppers 
and  large  crickets,  gophers,  rats  and  snakes,  chopped  up  and 
mixed  with  grease.  They  sacrificed  human  beings  to  propi- 
tiate the  demon  whom  they  invoked,  and  fed  on  the  flesh  of 
the  victim  to  complete  the  sacrifice.  With  the  hope  of  propi- 
tiating and  gaining  the  good  will  of  the  demon,  they  cut  and 
pierced  their  flesh,  endangering  at  times  their  lives  in  the  ex- 
cess of  their  fanaticism.  For  this  they  were  called  "sorcer- 
ers" and  disowned  by  Ute  and  Apache.  Their  women  ob- 
served seasons  of  mourning  with  most  bitter  and  woeful 
lamentations,  and  for  months  after  the  death  of  the  husband 
the  widows  saluted  the  rising  sun  with  loud  and  pitiful  cries. 
Such  were  the  Puaguampes  of  Salt  Lake,  mournful  examples 


Pai  Ute  Wickiups,   Tn  Simpson's  Time. 


THE  CATHOLIC  CHURCH   IN  UTAH  I IO, 

of  what  human  beings  may  become  when  separated  from  the 
knowledge  of  God. 

The  Ute  and  the  American  Indian  have  seen  their  last 
days  as  fighters  and  independent  men.  When,  on  March  4, 
1906,  the  tribal  organization  of  the  Cherokees,  Ghoctaws, 
Creeks,  Chickasaws  and  Seminoles  was  dissolved  and  their 
members  diffused  in  the  mass  of  the  country's  citizenship, 
the  final  chapter  in  the  Indians'  annals  as  a  distinct 
race  was  written.  The  pathetic  ending  of  the  Ute  uprising 
of  a  few  years  ago  settled  for  all  time  the  independent  aspi- 
rations of  the  race.  The  pacification  of  the  Utes  quells  the 
last  of  the  great  warlike  tribes.  They  held  out  longest  against 
the  government,  and  it  was  not  till  1889  that  they  consented 
to  the  opening  of  their  reservation  in  the  choicest  part  of 
Colorado's  hunting  grounds.  In  that  year  Chief  Ignacio  and 
more  than  a  thousand  of  his  followers  ceded  their  rights  to 
the  government  for  $50,000  and  rations.  They  withdrew  to 
a  small  farming  reservation  set  aside  for  them  in  La  Plata 
and  Archulets  counties,  Colorado. 

The  Utes  for  a  time  had  ranked  among  the  bravest  of  the 
Indian  fighters  and  were  exceeded  in  ferocity  by  the  Apaches 
only.  Until  the  Union  Pacific  Railroad  crossed  the  plains 
in  1875,  the  Utes  remained  in  Colorado,  but  in  the  early 
seventies  they  quarreled  among  themselves  and  a  division 
of  them  came  to  Utah  and  settled  in  the  southwestern  part  of 
the  state.  American  Horse  is  driving  a  stage  between  Rush- 
ville,  Neb.,  and  Pine  Ridge;  Geronimo,  the  grim  old  Apache, 
with  the  cruel  features,  thin  lips,  eyes  like  the  blade  of  a 
sword,  is  a  prisoner  of  war  at  Fort  Still,  Oklahoma;  Sitting 
Bull,  Crazy  Horse  and  the  great  Pawnee,  Sioux  and  Co- 
manche chiefs  of  half  a  century  ago  are  in  their  graves,  and 
no  call  can  provoke  them  to  battle  again. 

There  can  be  no  resurrection  for  these  mysterious  people, 
whose  origin  is  known  only  to  God.  They  are  corralled  on  the 
reservations,  where  they  must  remain  till  absorption  or  dis- 
ease annihilates  them. 


CHAPTER  XV. 


THE    SPANISH   TRAIL. 


Before  we  begin  the  examination  of  the  Diario,  and  wan- 
derings over  deserts  and  mountains  of  the  Franciscan  priests, 
we  ought  to  know  something  of  the  road  from  Taos,  northern 
New  Mexico,  to  Monterey,  which  the  fathers  failed  to  find, 
and  which  was  finally  located  fifty-odd  years  after  their  ex- 
traordinary expedition. 

We  have  already  seen  that,  as  early  as  1774,  a  trail  was 
opened  from  Tubac,  Arizona,  to  Los  Angeles,  and  on  to  Mon- 
terey. On  January  8, 1774,  two  priests,  Francisco  Garces  and 
Juan  Diaz,  accompanied  by  an  Indian  guide,  called  Sebastian, 
joined  the  expedition  of  Captain  Juan  Bautista-Anza  organ- 
ized to  open  a  road,  if  possible,  from  Sonora,  Mexico,  to  the 
Pacific  coast. 

The  party  forded  the  Colorado  near  the  mouth  of  the 
Gila,  and,  pushing  on,  entered  the  presidio  and  Mission  of 
San  Gabriel,  practically  the  Los  Angeles  of  our  own  day. 
From  here  Anza  and  his  companions  passed  on  to  Monte- 
rey. 

Garces  did  not  go  with  him,  but  returned  to  his  Mission 
San  Xavier  del  Bac,  which  he  entered  July  10,  1774.  The 
next  year,  October  23,  he  again  joined  Anza,  now  a  lieutenant- 
colonel,  and  with  Father  Font  as  cartographer  to  the  expedi- 
tion, Father  Eisarc  and  Indian  guides,  left  Tubac  once  again 
for  the  Gila  region. 

At  Yuma,  Garces,  "who,"  writes  Elliott  Coues,  "had 
been  especially  charged  by  high  authority  to  investigate  the 
feasibility  of  opening  communication  between  Monterey  and 
New  Mexico,"  took  leave  of  Anza  and  started  alone  for  the 
mouth  of  the  Colorado.  Anza  entered  California  and  con- 
tinued his  explorations. 

The  Gila  route  was  pronounced  impracticable  and  became 
simply  a  messenger  trail,  "though,"  writes  Charles  F.  Lum- 


THE   CATHOLIC    CHURCH   IN    UTAH  121 

mis  in  a  letter  to  the  author  of  this  history,  ''this  trail  of 
Garces  was  probably  used,  but  not,  of  course,  at  any  time 
as  frequently  as  was  the  old  Spanish  trail  by  way  of  Taos." 

Fathers  Escalante  and  Dominguez  failed  to  open  the  way, 
but  their  expedition  proved  the  importance  the  Spanish 
authorities  attached  to  the  discovery  of  a  commercial  high- 
way from  Santa  Fe  to  the  presidios  on  the  Pacific  coast.  It 
was  the  reading  of  Escalante 's  Journal  and  the  examination 
of  Dominguez'  map  which  possibly  led  Von  Humboldt  to  ex- 
press surprise,  in  his  "Essai  Politique,"  that,  "considering 
the  daring  explorations  of  the  Spaniards  in  Mexico  and  Peru 
and  along  the  Amazon,  no  (road  had  been  opened  )from 
Northern  New  Mexico  to  Monterey  by  way  of  Taos. ' '  Not  till 
1830,  according  to  Bancroft,  was  a  commercial  road  opened 
from  Santa  Fe  to  Monterey.  He  writes:  "Communication 
with  California  began  in  1830,  when  Jose  Antonio  Naca  vis- 
ited that  country  with  a  small  party  of  his  countrymen.  In 
1831-32  three  trapping  and  trading  parties  made  the  journey 
under  Wolf  skill,  Jackson  and  Young,  the  first  named  opening 
the  long  followed  trail  from  Taos,  north  of  the  Colorado 
river. ' ' 

The  old  Spanish  Trail  from  Santa  Fe  to  Los  Angeles  and 
Monterey — of  which  we  have  heard  so  much  and  know  so  little 
— was  really  an  extension  of  the  trail  from  Missouri  west- 
ward to  the  Pacific  ocean. 

It  moved  out  from  Santa  Fe  going  in  a  northwesterly  di- 
rection till  it  passed  through  the  old  Spanish  village  of  Santa 
Clara.  From  here  it  followed  down  the  upper  Chama  river 
or  Eio  Chama  to  Abiquiu  and,  swinging  abruptly  to  the  north, 
crossed  the  Colorado  State  line.  Now  bending  to  the  west, 
it  continued  along  the  southern  line  of  the  state  boundary 
paralleling  the  route  of  what  is  to-day  the  Denver  and  Eio 
Grande  railroad. 

It  now  swung  some  minutes  to  the  north,  moving  into 
Colorado  and  crossing  in  succession  the  Eio  Pedro,  Eio  de 
los  Pinos,  Eio  Florida,  Eio  Las  Animas  and  Eio  Plata,  till  it 
passed  the  head  waters  of  the  Eio  Mancos  and  plunged  into 


122  THE   CATHOLIC   CHURCH   IN   UTAH 

the  drainage  basin  of  the  Rio  Dolores.  It  continued  along  the 
Dolores  to  where  the  Dolores  entered  the  Grand  River  some 
ten  miles  to  the  west  of  the  line  between  Colorado  and  Utah. 

Along  the  Rio  Dolores,  in  about  latitude  38°  10'  north  lies 
Saucer  Valley,  and  from  Santa  Fe  to  this  point — a  distance 
of  more  than  three  hundred  miles,  this  old  Spanish  Trail 
practically  followed  the  route  taken  fifty-four  years  earlier 
by  Fathers  Escalante  and  Dominguez  when  they  made  their 
brave  attempt  to  open  a  road  to  Monterey.  It  is  singular 
that  nowhere  in  Bancroft's  works,  or  in  the  writings  of  sub- 
sequent or  previous  writers  on  the  trans-Rocky  Mountain 
regions,  do  we  find  any  mention  of  this  fact. 

At  a  pointy  a  little  to  the  north  of  Saucer  Valley,  Escalante 
turned  abruptly  eastward  and,  for  about  fifty  miles,  pursued 
an  easterly  course  before  he  again  turned  to  the  north,  and 
traveled  so  far  on  this  northern  route  that  it  was  impossible 
for  him  and  his  companions  to  reach  Monterey  that  winter. 

Had  the  Spanish  priests  not  veered  to  the  eastward  when 
they  left  their  camp  at  Saucer  Valley,  but  continued  on,  down 
the  Rio  Dolores,  they  would  have  found  an  easier  crossing  of 
the  mountains,  passed  far  to  the  south  of  Utah  Lake  and,  per- 
haps, have  entered  Monterey  before  the  severity  of  the 
weather  forced  them  to  return  to  Santa  Fe.  We  can  suspect 
no  motive  or  reason  for  the  change  unless  they  were  deceived 
by  their  guides  or  wished  to  visit  and  instruct  the  Lagunas  or 
Timpango  Indians  whose  presence  in  Utah  Valley  was  known 
to  the  priests.  While  the  expedition  failed  of  its  object,  it 
perhaps  influenced  partially  the  location  of  the  Spanish  Trail 
which  traveled  over  three  hundred  miles  of  the  same  route. 

We  return  to  the  course  of  the  Spanish  Trail.  Crossing 
the  Grand  River  below  the  mouth  of  the  Dolores,  the  trail 
bore  northwesterly  till  it  finally  crossed  the  Green  River 
just  below  the  mouth  of  the  Price  near  where  the  Denver  and 
Rio  Grande  railroad  now  bridges  that  stream.  The  Trail  here 
paralleled  the  Price  for  some  twenty  miles  on  a  westerly 
course,  when  it  veered  for  a  short  distance  to  the  southwest, 
fording  the  San  Rafael  River,  and  sharply  turning  due  south, 


THE    CATHOLIC    CHURCH   IN   UTAH 


123 


went  on  keeping  to  the  west  of  the  San  Rafael  Swell  and 
crossed  Muddy  Creek.  Here  it  bent  again  to  the  west  and, 
traveling  up  the  Fremont  River,  crossed  the  headwaters  of 
the  Sevier  river  north  of  the  Sevier  Plateau,  climbed  the 
great  Wasatch  Range  and,  descending,  entered  the  Great  Ba- 
sin. Sweeping  now  southwestward,  the  trail  skirted  the  east- 
erly and  southerly  rims  of  the  present  Escalante  Desert, 
entering  again  upon,  and  following  for  a  short  distance  sub- 
stantially the  route  traveled  over  by  Escalante 's  party  in 
1776,  it  turned  south  and  moved  into  " Mountain  Meadow." 
Here  for  a  portion  of  the  way  it  broke  the  road  afterward 
known  as  the  "old  Mormon  Trail,"  or  the  route  taken  by 
the  Mormons  when  traveling  between  Utah  and  California, 
and  the  identical  trail  entered  upon  by  the  emigrant  party 
from  Missouri  which  was  slaughtered  in  Mountain  Meadow 
on  the  morning  of  September  7,  1857. 

Passing  out  of  Mountain  Meadow,  the  trail  now  followed 
down  the  Santa  Clara  Fork  of  the  Virgin  River,  cut  through 
the  northwest  corner  of  Arizona  and  crossed  into  Nevada. 
Again  pursuing  a  southwesterly  course,  it  swept  by  Moapa, 
climbed  the  Muddy  Mountains,  skirted  Dry  Lake  and  went  on 
to  Las  Vegas,  now  a  division  station  on  the  San  Pedro,  Los 
Angeles  and  Salt  Lake  railroad. 

From  Las  Vegas,  still  southwestward,  it  went  over  the 
sandy  region  of  Southern  Nevada,  passed  through  the  Ivan- 
pah  Valley  and,  entering  California,  followed  the  desert  to 
where  the  Mojave  river  disappears  in  the  sands. 

Unlike  other  and  larger  bodies  of  flowing  water  which  find 
their  repose  in  the  salt  lakes  and  salt  beds  of  this  weird  and 
repellant  region,  the  Mojave  river,  born  in  the  Sierra  Ma- 
dres,  grows  in  depth  and  importance  as  it  advances  down  the 
eastward  slope  of  the  Sierras  till  it  reaches  the  arid  lands. 
Flowing  placidly  on  through  these  sandy  wastes  of  a  thirsty 
region,  the  river  grows  smaller  and  smaller,  and  at  last  sinks 
out  of  sight  and  disappears  in  the  desert. 

Following  the  Mojave  to  its  source  in  the  Sierra  Madres, 
the  trail  passed  out  of  the  Great  Basin  and,  descending  the 


124 


THE  CATHOLIC  CHURCH  IN  UTAH 


western  side  of  the  Sierras,  entered  an  undulating  country 
which  it  traveled  over  and  finally  reached  Los  Angeles. 

Speaking  of  the  Spanish  Trail  it  may  be  of  interest  to  re- 
cord that,  from  the  Mojave  River,  near  where  it  is  crossed  by 
the  Atchison,  Topeka  and  Santa  Fe  railroad,  and  from  this 
point  eastward,  for  a  distance  of  nearly  three  hundred  and 
fifty  miles,  to  where  the  Trail  turns  from  the  easterly  edge 
of  the  Escalante  desert  and  goes,  through  a  pass  in  the 
Wasatch  Mountains,  the  old  Spanish  Trail  was  followed  by 
Fremont  when  he  was  returning  eastward  from  his  explora- 
tion of  the  Great  Basin  in  1843-44. 


BOOK  II 

Journal  kept  by  the  Spanish  Priests,  Silvestre  Velez  de  Escalante 

and  Franciso  Atanasio  Dominguez,  the  Explorers  of 

Utah  and  Discoverers  of  Utah  Lake 


This  Journal  or  Diario  was  opened  July  29, 1776,  and  closed  when  the  Priests 
crossing  the    Grand    Canyon    and    visiting   the   Moqui   and 
Zuni  people,  re-entered  Santa  Fe,  January  2, 1777 


/> 


DIARY  AND  TRAVELS 

OF    FRAY    FRANCISCO    ATANASIO    DOMINGUEZ    AND    FRAY    SILVESTRE 
VELEZ  DE  ESCALANTE, 

TO    DISCOVER    A    ROUTE    FROM    THE    PRESIDIO    OF    SANTA     FE,      NEW 
MEXICO,  TO  MONTEREY  IN  SOUTHERN  CALIFORNIA. 

On  the  29th  day  of  July,  in  the  year  1776,  under  the  pro- 
tection of  Our  Lady  the  Virgin  Mary,  conceived  without  orig- 
inal sin,  and  under  that  of  the  most  holy  Patriarch  Joseph, 
her  honored  spouse,  Fray  Francisco  Atanasio  Dominguez,  the 
present  visiting  delegate  of  this  district  of  the  Conversion  of 
St.  Paul  of  New  Mexico,  and  Fray  Francisco  Silvestre  Velez 
de  Escalante,  teacher  of  Christian  doctrine  in  the  mission  of 
Our  Lady  6f  Guadalupe  of  Zuhi;  accompanied  by  Don  Juan 
Pedro  Cisneros,  the  mayor  of  the  town  of  Zuhi ;  Don  Ber- 
nardo Miera  y  Pacheco,  a  retired  captain,  and  citizen  of  the 
town  of  Santa  Fe;  Don  Joaquin  Lain,  citizen  of  the  same 
town ;  Lorenzo  Olivares,  of  the  town  of  Paso ;  Lucrecio  Muhiz, 
Andres  Muhiz,  Juan  de  Aguilar  and  Simon  Lucero,  having 
invoked  the  protection  of  our  most  holy  saints,  and  having 
received  the  Holy  Eucharist,  we  departed  from  the  town  of 
Santa  Fe,  capital  of  New  Mexico,  and  after  nine  leagues  of 
travel  we  arrived  at  the  town  of  Santa  Clara,  where  we 
passed  the  night. 

Today,  nine  leagues. 

30th  of  July.  We  journeyed  another  nine  leagues,  more 
or  less,  and  arrived  at  the  town  of  Santa  Rosa  of  Abiquiii, 
where,  for  various  reasons,  we  remained  over  the  31st,  and 
celebrating  solemn  Mass,  we  again  implored  the  aid  of  oui 
most  holy  saints. 

1st  day  of  August.  After  having  celebrated  the  Holy 
Sacrifice  of  the  Mass,  we  left  the  town  of  Santa  Rosa  de 
Abiquiii,  going  west,  following  the  bed  of  the  river  Chama. 
Farther  on,  a  little  less  than  two  leagues,  we  turned  to  the 


126  THE   CATHOLIC    CHURCH   IN   UTAH 

northwest.  After  three  and  a  half  leagues  of  a  bad,  stony 
road  we  halted  in  the  northern  part  of  the  Valley  of  Alum, 
mesas  (table-lands)  to  the  east  and  northeast  of  this  valley 
by  the  side  of  the  Arroyo  Seco  (Dry  Run).  On  some  of  the 
are  said  to  be  found  alum  and  transparent  gypsum.  In  the 
afternoon  we  left  the  Arroyo  Seco,  going  in  a  northward  di- 
rection, and  after  a  short  distance  we  turned  to  the  north- 
east, passing  through  a  woody  canon  a  little  more  than  two 
leagues,  over  very  bad  roads,  when  we  stopped  near  the 
same  Arroyo.  Today  it  has  rained  very  hard,  and  we  have 
traveled  seven  leagues. 

2d  day  of  August.  We  proceeded  northeast  through  the 
same  canon  a  little  more  than  four  leagues,  when  we  turned 
north,  and  entered  a  woody  ravine,  in  which  for  a  quarter  of 
a  league  the  forest  of  small  oak  trees  is  so  dense  that  in  pass- 
ing along  we  lost  four  of  our  animals,  making  it  necessary  for 
us  to  stop  and  go  after  them,  finding  them  after  a  short  time. 
We"  again  entered  the  canon,  and  although  we  lost  the  trail  in 
this  forest,  as  it  is  not  much  traveled,  we  found  it 
again  on  the  eastern  side  of  a  little  stream  that  runs 
through  it,  the  same  that,  farther  down,  they  call  the  Arroyo 
de  Canjilon.  Leaving  the  forest,  there  is  a  small  plain, 
covered  with  grass,  very  beautiful  to  look  upon  because  of 
the  roses  growing  there — a  color  between  violet  and  white, 
very  much  like  common  pinks.  There  grows  here  also  a  small 
red  fruit  about  the  size  of  a  blackberry,  and  in  freshness  and 
taste  very  similar  to  a  lemon,  so  that  in  this  country  it  is  used 
as  a  substitute  for  lemons  in  the  making  of  sweets  and  fresh 
drinks.  Besides  this,  there  are  cherries  smaller  than  the 
Mexican  and  another  small  fruit  they  call  the  little  apple,  the 
tree  of  which  is  like  the  lime  tree,  but  whose  leaf  rather  re- 
sembles the  celery.  The  size  of  this  fruit  is  the  same  as  the 
ordinary  Spanish-pea,  the  chick-pea,  the  color  of  some  being 
white,  of  others  black.  The  taste  is  pungent,  between  sweet 
and  sour,  but  pleasant. 

Where  the  roses  begin  to  grow,  the  canon  is  divided  in  two 
by  a  lofty  table-land,  on  both  sides  of  which  there  are  roads, 
one  to  the  west  and  the  other  to  the  north.     At  the  opening 


THE   CATHOLIC    CHURCH   IN   UTAH  127 

of  the  road  to  the  west  and  below  the  southern  point  of  the 
table-land  is  a  small  spring  of  good  water,  but  in  order  that 
the  animals  might  be  enabled  to  quench  their  thirst  it  was 
found  to  be  necessary  to  make  troughs.  The  strayed  animals 
having  turned  up,  we  pursued  our  way  through  the  caiion  to 
the  westward,  and  journeyed  a  league  and  a  quarter  towards 
the  north. 

Going  a  little  less  than  half  a  league  to  the  west,  we 
turned  to  the  northeast,  having  traveled  a  little  more  than 
three  leagues  by  a  good  road.  Turning  a  little  aside  from  the 
road  we  stopped  to  rest  by  a  stream  that  is  called  the  Rio  de 
la  Cebolla  (Onion  River).  In  its  bed  we  found  a  sufficient 
quantity  of  water  in  pools,  although  it  appears  seldom  to 
have  a  current.  We  started  out  from  this  place  in  the  after- 
noon, going  a  quarter  of  a  league  to  the  north,  in  order  to 
strike  the  road  we  had  left.  We  bore  off  a  little  to  the  north- 
east, over  some  three  leagues  of  good  road,  and  stopped  on  a 
level  piece  of  ground  by  the  bank  of  a  stream  called  Rio  de 
las  Nutrias  (Otter  River),  because,  although  the  water  is 
constant  and  flowing,  it  seems  to  have  stagnant  pools  all  or 
most  of  the  year,  in  which  otters  breed. 

Today,  eight  leagues. 

3d  day  of  August.  Leaving  the  Rio  de  las  Nutrias  to  the 
northeast,  we  entered  a  small  forest  of  pines,  and  going  a 
little  less  than  three  leagues  we  came  to  the  Rio  de  Chama, 
and  through  this  beautiful  country  we  proceeded  north  about 
a  mile,  crossing  the  river  and  stopping  to  rest  on  the  opposite 
side.  The  ford  of  the  river  is  very  beautiful,  but  near  its 
banks  are  great  gullies  full  of  small  stones,  into  one  of  which 
the  saddle  horse  of  Don  Juan  Cisneros  fell  and  was  com- 
pletely submerged.  For  about  a  league  to  the  north  and 
south  of  the  river,  there  is  open  country  of  good  land  for  sow- 
ing, with  proper  irrigation.  It  produces  flax  and  has  abund- 
ant pasturage.  There  is  here  everything  necessary  for  the 
settlement  of  a  town  and  for  its  maintenance;  a  grove  of 
white  poplar  trees  is  also  here. 

We  proceeded  on  our  journey  in  the  afternoon,  andascend- 


128  THE   CATHOLIC   CHURCH   IN   UTAH 

ing  the  western  slope  of  the  river,  entered  a  small  valley, 
which  we  named  Santo  Domingo.  This  valley  is  enclosed  by 
three  large  and  well  wooded  table-lands,  forming  a  semi- 
circle from  north  to  south,  until  they  reach  the  river.  To  the 
west  of  these  table-lands  are  said  to  be  two  lakes,  the  first 
and  most  southern,  to  the  west  of  the  opening  that  One  sees 
between  the  first  and  second  table-land,  and  the  second  to  the 
west  of  the  pass  between  the  second  and  third  table-land. 
These  lakes  with  the  valley  spoken  of  are  very  well  adapted 
to  the  raising  of  large  and  small  herds.  We  proceeded  along 
the  valley  to  the  northeast  and  entered  a  small  mountain 
forest  of  pine  trees  in  which  we  lost  one  of  our  pack  mules, 
not  finding  it  until  near  sunset,  compelling  us  to  halt  in  a 
place  full  of  briers  and  brambles  near  the  three  little  hills 
that  we  named  La  Santisima  Trinidad  (Holy  Trinity),  hav- 
ing traveled  from  the  river  only  two  leagues  to  the  north- 
east. In  this  stopping  place  there  was  no  running  water, 
although  we  found  a  little  in  a  streamlet  near-by,  to  the  south- 
east. The  river  Chama  runs  north  and  south  from  where  we 
crossed  it  today,  and,  before  it  gets  opposite  the  flint  moun- 
tain, turns  to  the  west,  until  it  passes  the  town  of  Abiquiu. 

Today,  five  leagues. 

4th  of  August.  Leaving  the  Santisima  Trinidad  to  the 
north,  we  traveled  two  leagues  by  the  same  mountain,  where 
are  pines  and  small  oaks.  There  is  also  abundant  grass  and 
flax,  and,  enclosing  the  mountain,  are  two  large  mesas  (tablo- 
lands),  each  one  forming  a  semi-circle,  the  northern  point  of 
one  being  joined  to  the  southern  point  of  the  other,  and  separ- 
ated by  a  narrow  opening  or  gate.  Going  a  quarter  of  a  league 
to  the  northeast,  we  passed  the  opening  in  which  is  another 
lake,  which  we  called  Olivares,  being  a  quarter  of  a  league 
long,  and  two  hundred  yards  (more  or  less)  in  width.  Its 
water  is  drinkable,  though  not  very  pleasant  to  the  taste. 
From  the  lake  and  the  opening  we  continued  half  a  league  to 
the  north,  and  descending  to  the  northeast,  we  left  the  road 
that  passes  the  "halting-stone,"  as  it  was  called  by  those  of 
our  party  who  had  been  here  before;  the  guides  directing  us 


THE    CATHOLIC    CHURCH    IN    UTAH  129 

through  a  dry  woodland,  without  foot-path  or  road  of  any 
kind,  telling  us  that  in  the  road  we  had  just  left  there  were 
three  very  difficult  hills  to  climb,  and  that  it  was  not  so  direct 
as  the  road  we  were  now  taking.  Going  a  little  more  than  8 
league  through  the  same  woodland,  we  turned  west-north- 
west, returning  near  to  the  mountain,  and  after  half  a  league 
we  took  to  the  northeast.  Passing  three  leagues  and  a  half 
through  a  fertile  glen  we  came  to  a  large  open  plain  called 
Belduque  (Plain  of  the  Knife).  In  this  plain  we  inclined  to 
the  west,  and,  descending  to  the  arroya,  went  two  leagues 
and  entered  a  canon,  where  we  halted  to  rest.  From  a  certain 
accident  that  happened  here  we  named  the  canon  El  Canon 
del  Engano  (the  Canon  of  Deceit).  Here  we  found  sufficient 
standing  water  and  pasture. 

Today,  nine  and  a  quarter  leagues. 

5th  day  of  August.  Leaving  the  Canon  del  Engaho  to  the 
southeast,  after  half  a  league  we  came  to  the  Rio  de  Navajo, 
that  rises  in  the  mountains  of  Grulla,  flows  from  the  north- 
east to  the  southwest,  going  north  for  a  little  more  than  three 
leagues  until  it  joins  with  another  river  called  the  San  Juan. 
In  this  place  the  River  Navajo  has  less  water  than  the 
Chama.  Leaving  the  river  we  proceeded  with  some  difficulty 
through  the  caiion  for  nearly  a  league  to  the  south,  when  we 
dropped  to  the  southeast  a  quarter  of  a  league  and  three- 
quarters  of  a  league  to  the  west,  passing  through  a  canon 
and  over  hills  and  mountains.  The  guides  lost  their  way, 
seeming  to  possess  but  small  knowledge  of  this  country.  In 
order  not  to  descend  farther,  we  took  to  the  northeast,  travel- 
ing some  three  leagues  with  no  path,  climbing  a  high  moun- 
tain and  beholding  the  bed  of  the  river  we  had  just  left.  We 
descended  to  it  by  a  rough  and  jagged  slope,  and,  going  a 
little  inore  three  leagues  to  the  west-northwest,  we  crossed  it 
by  a  good  ford  and  halted  on  the  northern  bank.  Here  it  had 
already  joined  the  San  Juan.  The  guides  inform  us  that  a 
little  farther  up  the  two  rivers  unite,  and  so  we  determined 
to  observe  the  latitude  of  this  place,  which  detained  us  here 
until  the  afternoon  of  the  following  day.    We  made  the  ob- 


130  THE   CATHOLIC    CHURCH   IN   UTAH 

servation  by  the  meridian  of  the  sun,  and  found  ourselves  in 
37  degrees  51  minutes  of  latitude,  and  called  the  place  Nuestra 
Sefiora  de  las  Nieves  (Our  Lady  of  the  Snows). 

Fray  Silvestre  proceeded  to  record  the  point  where  the 
two  rivers — the  Navajo  and  the  San  Juan — join,  and  found 
it  to  be  about  three  leagues  in  an  air  line  to  the  east  of  the 
Nieves  (Snows),  and  to  be  well  adapted  to  settlements  on  the 
banks  of  each  river.  The  San  Juan  river  carries  more  water 
than  the  Navajo,  and  it  is  said  that  farther  north  are  large 
and  fertile  tracts,  where  the  river  flows  over  open  country. 
Thus  joined  the  two  form  a  river  as  large  as  the  northern 
one  in  the  month  of  July;  and  it  is  called  the  Bio  Grande  de 
Navajo,  because  it  separates  the  province  of  this  name  from 
the  Yuta  nation.  Below  the  plain  of  Nuestra  Sefiora  de  las 
Nieves  there  are  good  lands,  if  sufficiently  irrigated,  and  ail 
that  is  necessary  for"  three  or  four  towns,  even  though  they 
be  large  ones.  On  either  bank  of  the  river  we  found  dense 
leafy  forests  of  white  poplar,  small  oak,  cherry,  small  apples, 
limes,  and  other  trees.  There  is  also  some  sarsaparilla  and  a 
tree  that  seemed  to  us  to  be  walnut. 

Today,  eight  leagues. 

6th  day  of  August.  In  the  afternoon  we  left  Nuestra 
Sefiora  de  las  Nieves,  the  river  below,  and  our  course  to  tba 
west,  and  journeying  two  and  a  half  leagues  over  a  bad  road, 
we  stopped  on  the  bank  of  the  river.  Don  Bernardo  Miera  had 
been  suffering  with  pains  in  the  stomach,  and  the  afternoon 
found  him  much  worse;  but  it  pleased  God  that  before  day- 
light on  the  following  morning  he  was  so  much  relieved  that 
we  were  able  to  proceed  on  our  journey. 

Today,  two  and  one-half  leagues. 

7th  day  of  August.  We  proceeded  by  the  bank  of  the 
river,  and  along  the  side  of  the  near  table-lands,  a  little  more 
than  a  quarter  of  a  league  to  the  west,  ascending  a  somewhat 
difficult  hill,  and  descending  to  the  northwest,  and  a  league 
farther  on  we  arrived  at  another  river  called  the  Piedra  Para- 
da,  at  a  point  near  its  junction  with  the  Navajo.  Here 
there  is  a  large  plain  that  we  called  San  Antonio,  with  fine 


THE   CATHOLIC    CHURCH   IN   UTAH  131 

land  for  cultivating,  if  irrigated,  and  all  that  a  settlement 
would  need  of  stone,  wood,  timher  and  pasture.  This  river 
rises  in  the  mountain  range  of  Grulla,  to  the  north  of  the  San 
Juan  river,  flows  from  north  to  south,  and  is  somewhat 
smaller  than  the  Chama,  which  passes  the  town  of  Abiquiu. 

Crossing  this  river  we  traveled  two  leagues  to  the  west 
and  a  little  more  than  two  to  the  west-northwest,  and  arrived 
at  the  eastern  bank  of  the  river  that  is  called  Rio  de  los  Pinos 
(Pine  river),  because  of  the  pine  trees  growing  on  its  banks. 
It  is  smaller  than  the  northern  river,  but  has  good  water.  At 
this  point  it  flows  north  and  south,  and  empties  into  the 
Navajo.  It  rises  in  the  western  part  of  the  Grulla  range  at  a 
point  that  is  called  Sierra  la  Plata  (Silver  range).  There  is 
a  large  plain  here  with  abundant  pasturage,  especially  good 
for  wheat,  grass  and  corn,  but  needs  irrigation.  A  good  loca- 
tion for  a  settlement.  We  rested  here,  naming  the  place  Vega 
de  San  Cayetano  (Plain  of  San  Cajetan). 

Today,  a  little  more  than  six  leagues. 

8th  day  of  August.  We  left  the  River  Pinos  and  Plain 
of  San  Cajetan  to  the  west-northwest,  and  going  four 
leagues  arrived  at  the  River  Florida,  which  is  much  smaller 
than  the  River  Pinos.  It  rises  in  the  same  mountaiu  range, 
but  more  to  the  west,  flows  from  north  to  south,  and  in  the 
place  where  we  crossed  it  there  is  a  large  tract  with  good  soil, 
if  well  irrigated.  The  pasturage  on  the  plain  is  good,  but 
near  the  river  not  so  good,  though  in  the  rainy  season  it  may 
be  better.  Passing  the  River  Florida,  we  traveled  west  two 
leagues,  and  two  more  to  the  west-northwest.  Descending  a 
stony  hill,  we  came  to  the  River  del  las  Animas,  near  the 
western  slope  of  the  Plata  range,  where  the  river  rises. 
Crossing,  we  halted  on  the  opposite  bank.  It  is  as  large  as 
the  northern  river,  and  at  this  season  contains  more  water 
and  has  a  swifter  current,  having  more  of  a  decline  at  this 
point.  Like  the  other  rivers,  it  empties  into  the  Navajo. 
The  banks  are  steep,  and  here  the  pasturage  is  not  good, 
though  farther  on  and  lower  down  it  is  better. 

Today,  a  little  more  than  eight  leagues. 


J  32  THE   CATHOLIC    CHURCH   IN    UTAH 

9th  day  of  August.  We  left  the  River  Animas  (River  of 
Souls)  and  climbed  the  western  slope.  Although  it  is  not 
very  high,  it  is  difficult,  being  rocky  and  in  parts  very  steep. 
We  crossed  the  summit  of  a  little  mountain,  which  would 
make  the  distance  traveled  about  a  quarter  of  a  league,  and 
entered  a  fertile  glen,  through  which  we  went  a  league  to  the 
west,  then  turning  to  the  northwest,  skirted  the  foot  of  a 
green  mountain  with  good  pasturage,  and  came  to  the  San 
Joaquin  river.  As  it  passes  through  the  town  of  San  Gero- 
nimo  it  is  small.  It  rises  in  the  western  part  of  the  Sierra 
de  la  Plata,  and  flows  through  the  same  canon,  in  which  are 
said  to  be  open  veins  of  metal;  although  when  some  years 
previous  parties  came  to  examine  these  mines,  by  order  of 
the  governor,  Don  Tomas  Velas  Cachupin,  they  could  not 
say  for  certain  what  metal  they  contained.  According  to 
the  opinion  of  some  who  lived  in  this  section,  and  from  re- 
ports gathered  from  the  Indians,  they  concluded  it  was  sil- 
ver, thus  giving  the  name  to  the  mountain  range. 

From  the  slope  of  the  River  Animas  to  that  of  San 
Joaquin  the  land  is  not  very  moist,  while  in  the  immediate 
vicinity  of  the  Sierras  the  rains  are  very  frequent,  so  that  on 
the  mountains  which  are  covered  with  tall  pine  trees,  small 
oak  and  a  variety  of  wild  fruit  trees,  the  pasturage  is  of  the 
best.  The  temperature  here  is  very  cold,  even  in  the  months 
of  July  and  August.  Among  the  fruits  growing  here  there  is 
a  small  one,  black  in  color,  with  an  agreeable  flavor,  very 
much  like  the  fruit  of  the  medlar  tree,  though  not  so  sweet. 
We  went  no  farther  that  day,  because  the  animals  had  not 
sufficient  food  the  night  before,  and  seemed  tired,  and  also 
because  of  a  heavy  rain  storm  that  compelled  us  to  remain. 

Today,  four  and  a  quarter  leagues,  almost  due  west. 

10th  day  of  August.  Father  Fray  Francisco  Atanasio 
awoke  with  a  severe  attack  of  rheumatism,  which  he  had  be- 
gun to  feel  the  day  before  in  his  face  and  head,  and  it  was 
necessary  to  remain  here  until  he  was  relieved.  The  con- 
tinued rain  and  the  dampness  of  the  place,  however,  obliged 
us  to  leave.    Going  north  a  little  more  than  half  a  league  we 


THE    CATHOLIC    CHURCH   IN   UTAH  133 

turned  northeast.  A  league  farther  on  we  turned  to  the  west, 
through  beautiful  mountain  glens,  full  of  verdure,  roses  and 
other  flowers.  Two  leagues  farther  on  it  began  to  rain 
copiously,  which  caused  Father  Atanasio  to  become  much 
worse,  and  also  made  the  road  impassable.  We  passed  on 
two  leagues  farther  west,  but  were  obliged  to  stop  by  the 
first  of  the  two  small  streams  which  make  up  the  San  La  - 
zaro,  otherwise  called  Las  Mancos.  The  pasturage  continues 
to  be  abundant. 

Today,  four  and  a  half  leagues. 

11  tli  day  of  August.  Notwithstanding  the  cold  and  damp- 
ness from  which  we  suffered,  we  were  obliged  to  remain, 
because  Father  Atanasio  was  very  much  weakened  from  his 
suffering,  and  had  some  fever.  We  were  not  able  to  visit  the 
mines  of  the  Sierras,  although  one  of  our  companions,  who 
had  visited  them  on  a  former  occasion,  assured  us  they  were 
but  a  short  distance  away. 

12th  day  of  August.  Father  Atanasio  awoke  somewhat 
better,  and,  for  a  change  of  place  and  temperature  more  than 
for  the  purpose  of  continuing  our  journey,  we  left  this  loca- 
tion and  the  river  of  San  Lorenzo  to  the  northeast,  and  after 
going  a  little  more  than  a  league  we  turned  to  the  west-north- 
west, and  traveled  five  leagues  over  green  mountains  with 
good  pasturage.  To  the  west  for  two  and  a  half  leagues  we 
passed  through  a  piece  of  burnt-over  woodland  with  scant 
pasturage,  and  turned  to  the  north,  crossing  the  Rio  de 
Nuestra  Seiiora  de  los  Dolores  (River  of  Our  Lady  of  Sor- 
rows), and  halted  on  the  southern  side  of  the  Sierra  de  la 
Plata.  This  river  flows  south,  and  during  this  season  is  much 
smaller  than  the  northern  river. 

Today,  a  little  more  than  eight  leagues. 

13th  day  of  August.  We  made  a  stopping  place  here,  so 
that  the  Father  might  the  sooner  recover,  and  also  that  we 
might  ascertain  the  latitude  of  this  location  and  the  plain  of 
the  River  Dolores,  in  which  we  find  ourselves.  We  have 
taken  observations  and  find  we  are  in  latitude  38  degrees  13  y2 
minutes.     There  is  everything  here  requisite  for  the  estab- 


134  THE   CATHOLIC   CHURCH   IN   UTAH 

lisliment  of  a  good  town,  the  land  only  needing  irrigation, 
with  pasturage,  wood  and  timber.  On  the  southern  bank  of 
the  river,  on  a  rise  of  ground,  there  appears  to  have  been, 
anciently,  a  small  town,  similar  to  those  of  the  Indians  of 
New  Mexico,  judging  from  the  ruins  found  here,  which  we 
carefully  examined.  Father  Fray  Francisco  Atanasio  being 
very  much  better  today,  we  decided  to  continue  our  travels 
on  the  morrow. 

14th  day  of  August.  We  left  the  valley  and  river  of  Dolo- 
res to  the  north,  and,  after  going  a  quarter  of  a  league,  we 
turned  one  league  to  the  northwest;  a  quarter  to  the  north, 
then  five  leagues  to  the  west,  through  a  difficult  piece  of  very 
dry  woodland  when  he  entered  into  a  rough  and  very  uneven 
canon.  Going  two  leagues  farther  to  the  north,  we  came  to 
the  River  Dolores  for  the  second  time,  which  here  flows  to  the 
northwest.  We  crossed  it  twice  within  a  short  distance,  and 
halted  on  the  western  bank,  and  named  the  place,  a  small 
plain  with  good  pasturage,  La  Asuncion  de  Nuestra  Senora 
(the  Assumption  of  Our  Lady).  This  afternoon  we  were 
overtaken  by  a  Coyote  Indian  and  a  half-breed  from  Abiquiu, 
called  Felipe,  and  Juan  Domingo.  By  loitering  about  among 
our  people,  and  pretending  that  they  wished  to  accompany  us, 
they  escaped  from  the  officers  of  their  town.  We  had  no  need 
of  them,  but  in  order  to  free  them  from  the  sins  which, 
through  ignorance  or  malice,  they  might  commit  if  they  re- 
mained longer  among  the  Yutas,  we  took  them  with  us,  rather 
than  insist  on  their  returning. 

Today,  eight  and  a  quarter  leagues. 

15th  day  of  August.  Leaving  the  stopping  place  of  the 
Asuncion,  on  the  River  de  los  Dolores,  through  a  canon  some- 
what stony,  we  traveled  a  quarter  of  a  league  to  the  west- 
northwest.  We  turned  to  the  northwest,  and  went  a  league 
to  the  north-northwest,  and  traveler  a  little  more  than  three 
leagues  through  a  level  woodland  of  good  soil.  Turning  one 
league  to  the  northwest,  we  went  directly  west  by  the  trail. 
We  halted  by  a  stream  that  the  guides  told  us  had  water,  but 
which  we  found  perfectly  dry.     Not  knowing  if  there  might 


THE   CATHOLIC   CHURCH  IN  UTAH  135 

be  another  stream  in  this  vicinity  with  sufficient  water,  and 
near  enough  to  be  able  to  reach  it  during  the  afternoon,  we 
sent  the  guides  to  find  out  how  far  we  would  have  to  go  to 
reach  a  flow.  A  stream  was  found,  but  with  water  enough 
for  the  men  only,  and  none  for  the  animals.  It  was  filled  up 
with  wood  and  stone,  and,  as  it  seemed,  purposely.  The 
water  is  constant,  but  not  palatable.  The  Yutas  probably 
closed  up  the  stream  for  some  contingency  which  they  fore- 
saw might  happen;  for,  according  to  some  of  our  company 
who  had  lived  among  them,  they  were  accustomed  to  protect 
themselves  in  this  way.  In  the  afternoon  we  proceeded  on 
our  way,  and  traveled  two  leagues  to  the.  northwest  and  one- 
half  league  to  the  north,  reaching  the  stream  mentioned, 
which  we  named  La  Agua  Tapado  (covered  water). 

Today,  three  and  three-quarter  leagues. 

16th  day  of  August.  We  missed  more  than  half  the  ani- 
mals that  had  strayed  away  looking  for  water,  which  they 
discovered  half  the  way  back  on  the  road  we  traveled  yester- 
day, and  there  we  found  them.  Returning  late,  we  left  Agua 
Tapada  at  half-past  ten  in  the  morning.  We  took  a  much- 
traveled  road  that  we  thought  would  continue  until  we  ar- 
rived at  the  Rio  de  Dolores,  which  we  intended  to  follow,  but 
after  going  two  leagues  to  the  northwest  and  a  league  and  a 
half  to  the  west,  we  left  it,  the  ground  being  very  soft,  and 
the  rains  having  destroyed  the  trail.  From  here  we  turned 
to  the  northwest.  A  quarter  of  a  league  farther  we  entered 
a  canon,  wide  at  the  mouth,  in  which  we  found  a  good  and 
much-traveled  road.  We  followed  it,  and,  going  another 
league  north,  came  to  a  running  stream  with  sufficient  water 
for  both  man  and  beast.  Being  hidden  in  a  dense  forest  of 
pine  and  juniper  trees,  we  named  the  stream  Agua  Escondida 
(hidden  water).  Here  we  lost  the  stream,  for  the  road  went 
at  right  angles  to  it.  We  made  two  troughs  from  which  the 
horses  could  drink,  but  they  were  not  satisfied  after  all. 
While  we  were  examining  the  land  on  every  side,  in  order 
that  we  might  proceed  on  our  way,  Don  Bernardo  Miera  went 
on  through  the  canon  alone,  and  without  our  having  known 


136  THE   CATHOLIC   CHURCH   IN   UTAH 

it,  and  because  of  the  impossibility  of  our  continuing  our 
journey,  we  stopped,  and  sent  one  of  our  party  to  bring  him 
back  before  he  should  lose  his  way.  He  went  ahead  so  rap- 
idly that  it  was  after  midnight  before  they  returned.  We 
were  all  very  anxious  because  of  their  absence.  They  said 
they  had  gone  up  the  Dolores  river,  and  that  on  the  way  they 
had  found  only  one  short  piece  of  road  difficult  of  passage, 
but  which  could  be  repaired,  so  that  we  decided  to  go  on  the 
next  day. 

Today,  four  leagues. 

17th  day  of  August.  We  left  the  Agua  Escondida,  and 
about  half -past  three  in  the  afternoon  we  came  to  the  Rio  de 
los  Dolores  for  the  third  time.  We  traveled  through  the  en- 
tire canon  and  its  many  turns,  seven  leagues  to  the  north, 
but  really  four  or  five  more.  We  named  the  canon  El  Labe- 
rinto  de  Miera  ( Miera 's  Labyrinth),  because  of  the  varied 
and  beautiful  views  on  every  side,  and  being  so  elevated  and 
rocky  at  every  turn  that  the  way  seemed  much  longer  and 
difficult,  and  also  because  Don  Bernardo  Miera  was  the  first 
to  go  through  the  canon.  The  way  is  passable  and  not  diffi- 
cult for  the  animals,  except  in  one  place,  where  it  was  quickly 
repaired.  Arriving  at  the  river  we  found  recent  tracks  of  the 
Yutas,  from  which  we  concluded  there  was  a  settlement  of 
them  near  by.  Considering  that  if  they  had  seen  us  and  we 
had  not  asked  favors  of  them,  they  might  imagine  we  in- 
tended them  some  harm,  and  that  this  fear  would  somewhat 
disturb  them,  we  determined  to  find  them,  thinking  some  of 
them  could  guide  us  into  a  road  by  which  we  might  proceed 
on  our  journey  with  less  difficulty  than  now  appeared  to  us, 
as  none  of  our  company  knew  the  country  nor  the  streams 
ahead  of  us. 

As  soon  as  we  had  halted  near  a  wide  part  of  the  river, 
that  we  named  San  Bernardo,  Father  Fray  Francisco  Ata- 
nasio,  accompanied  by  Andres  Mufiiz  as  interpreter,  and  Don 
Juan  Pedro  Cisneros,  went  up  the  river  some  three  leagues, 
and  there  they  recognized  them  as  being  Yutas;  but  they 
could  not  find  the  tribe,  after  having  gone  to  where  the  small 


THE   CATHOLIC    CHUKCH  IN   UTAH  137 

Rio  de  las  Paraliticas  (River  of  the  Paralytics)  divides  the 
Yutas  into  two  tribes,  the  Tabehuachis  and  the  Muhuachis, 
the  one  living  north  and  the  other  south  of  the  river.  The 
river  was  so  named  because  one  of  our  party  who  saw  it  first 
found  in  a  wigwam  on  the  bank  of  the  river  three  Yuta  wom- 
en suffering  from  paralysis. 

Today,  seven  leagues ;  in  a  bee  line,  four  to  the  north. 

18th  day  of  August.  Two  of  our  companions  left  very 
early  to  find  where  we  could  best  leave  the  river,  for  here  the 
banks  are  very  high  and  stony,  and  we  did  not  care  to  wan- 
der where  there  was  neither  water  nor  pasturage.  In  the 
bed  of  the  river  there  are  quantities  of  rocks,  and  we  feared 
to  injure  the  horses,  having  to  cross  it  several  times.  They  re- 
turned about  eight  o  'clock  in  the  evening,  saying  that  only  by 
following  the  river  bed  could  we  leave  this  place,  and  so  we 
were  obliged  to  follow  the  river. 

Today,  one  league  to  the  north. 

19th  day  of  August.  We  proceeded  along  the  river  one 
league  to  the  northeast  with  some  difficulty,  and  then  turned 
one  league  to  the  northwest.  We  stopped  at  another  open 
part  of  the  river  to  water  the  horses,  so  that  we  could  leave 
the  river  and  follow  a  road  that  went  northeast,  if  the  rough- 
ness of  the  country  would  allow  it.  Wishing  to  cross  the 
ridge  of  high  and  rocky  table-lands,  for  the  river  bed  now 
became  impassable,  one  of  the  men  went  on  ahead  to  see  if 
the  road  was  passable.  He  found  that  we  could  not  travel 
the  northwest  road,  but  discovered  another  path  to  the  south- 
east. Although  he  examined  it  for  a  long  way,  and  found  no 
great  obstacles,  we  did  not  venture  to  follow  it,  because  far- 
ther on  it  was  divided  by  high  table-lands  and  canons,  in 
which  we  would  again  be  shut  in,  and  so  have  to  turn  back 
as  before.  More  than  this,  the  arid  condition  of  the  country 
in  the  immediate  vicinity  led  us  to  believe  that  the  pools  of 
rain  water  and  the  channels  of  running  water  which  are 
usually  found  here,  were  now  perfectly  dry. 

We  consulted  with  the  men  who  had  traveled  over  this 
country  before  as  to  what  direction  we  should  take  to  over- 


138  THE   CATHOLIC   CHUKCH   IN  UTAH 

come  these  difficulties,  and  every  one  was  of  a  different 
opinion.  Finding  ourselves  in  this  uncertainty,  not  knowing 
if  we  should  follow  the  road  mentioned,  or  if  we  ought  to 
turn  back  a  little  and  take  the  trail  that  passed  the  Yuta  set- 
tlement, we  put  our  trust  in  God,  and,  having  implored  the 
intercession  of  our  most  holy  patron  saints  that  God  would 
direct  us  where  it  would  be  most  conducive  to  His  holy  serv- 
ice, we  cast  lots  for  the  two  roads,  and  it  fell  to  the  Yuta 
trail,  which  at  once  decided  us  to  follow  it  until  we  arrived 
at  their  settlement.  We  took  observations  at  this  point, 
which  we  called  the  Canon  del  Yeso  (Chalk  Canon),  having 
discovered  some  chalk  nearby,  and  found  we  were  in  39  de- 
grees 6  minutes  latitude. 

Today,  two  leagues. 

20th  day  of  August.  We  left  the  Canon  del  Yeso,  going 
back  a  league  to  the  southeast,  and  recrossed  the  river,  from 
which,  about  a  quarter  of  a  league  away,  towards  the  north- 
east, we  saw  a  number  of  small  hills,  on  which  we  discovered 
beds  of  a  very  transparent  gypsum.  The  river  being  passed, 
we  entered  a  wide  valley,  and  following  along  a  well-beaten 
trail  that  leads  towards  a  high  table-land,  we  traveled 
three  leagues  to  the  northwest.  It  was  then  that,  at  the 
earnest  suggestion  of  Don  Bernardo  Miera,  who  was  not  in 
favor  of  this  road,  the  interpreter,  Andres,  took  us  along 
a  lofty  mountain  crest,  precipitous  and  rocky,  to  such  an 
extent,  that  we  believed  we  should  be  compelled  to  retrace 
our  steps  after  having  gone  half  the  distance;  because  our 
animals  suffered  so  much  that  many  of  them  marked  the 
stony  road  with  blood  left  by  their  hoofprints.  We  climbed 
the  mountain  with  great  difficulty,  after  several  hours  of  toil, 
going  in  a  northerly  direction,  having  traveled  in  the  ascent 
about  a  quarter  of  a  league.  Along  the  top  of  the  mountain 
we  traveled  a  mile  to  the  northwest,  and  from  this  point  we 
could  see  that  the  road  went  along  the  base  of  the  table-land, 
and  over  good  level  ground. 

In  the  descent,  which  is  smooth  and  clear  of  rocks,  we 
traveled  for  more  than  three-quarters  of  a  league  in  a  north- 


THE   CATHOLIC   CHURCH  IN  UTAH  139 

erly  direction.  We  pursued  our  way  more  than  a  league  to 
the  northeast,  passing  through  a  country  that  abounded  in 
small  cacti;  and  in  order  to  avoid  the  annoyance  that  this 
caused  our  animals,  we  betook  ourselves  to  the  bed  of  a  river, 
and,  having  gone  along  its  course  for  something  like  a  league 
towards  the  east,  we  suddenly  came  upon  an  abundant  sup- 
ply of  good  water,  which  is  furnished  partly  by  what  remains 
in  pools  after  a  rain,  and  partly  by  springs.  We  named  it 
San  Bernardo.  It  would  seem,  judging  from  the  trails,  and 
the  ruins  of  wigwams,  that  this  was  a  camping  ground  of  the 
Yutas,  and  here  we  came  again  into  the  road  that  we  left 
when  we  climbed  the  almost  unscalable  mountain.  Here  we 
camped,  although  the  grass  is  not  very  abundant.  We  find 
that  we  have  journeyed  today  six  leagues  without  reckoning 
the  piece  over  which  we  retraced  our  steps. 

21st  day  of  August.  We  left  the  springs  of  San  Bernardo, 
and  by  way  of  the  canon,  in  the  southern  part  of  which  the 
springs  are  situated,  we  took  a  northerly  direction  over  a 
road  that  was  difficult  to  travel,  and  which  in  some  places 
was  very  rough.  About  half  way  up  the  canon  we  found  sev- 
eral pools  of  water,  and,  towards  the  end,  the  water  flowed 
as  abundantly  as  though  coming  from  a  living  spring.  Hav- 
ing passed  through  the  canon,  we  pursued  our  way  in  a 
northwesterly  direction,  over  an  open,  level  country.  We 
then  entered  another  canon,  where  the  road  was  as  bad  as 
the  one  we  had  left,  and  having  made  our  way  for  about  a 
league  to  the  north,  we  came  to  the  Rio  de  San  Pedro,  and 
established  our  camp  in  a  piece  of  level  country,  naming  it 
the  camp  of  San  Luis. 

Today,  six  leagues. 

22d  day  of  August.  Departing  from  the  camp  of  San 
Luis,  we  crossed  the  river,  climbed  a  steep,  high  mountain, 
though  not  a  very  rocky  one,  and  entered  upon  an  extended 
table-land,  which  is  something  like  the  spur  of  the  range  of 
the  Tabechuachis.  We  journeyed  along  the  summit  in  a 
northeasterly  direction  some  two  leagues,  in  an  east-north- 
east direction  half  a  league,  and  in  a  southeast  another  half 


.1.40  THE   CATHOLIC   CHURCH   IN   UTAH 

league,  and  then  descended  to  the  table  land  by  another  pre- 
cipitous, though  short,  trail ;  it  is  the  same  one  that  Don  Juan 
Maria  Eevera  in  his  journal  considers  to  be  so  full  of  diffi- 
culties. Along  the  bank  of  the  river  San  Pedro  we  made 
our  way  northeast  for  about  a  league.  We  stopped  for  our 
midday  rest,  and  some  went  forward  to  view  the  land,  to  see 
what  would  be  the  nature  of  the  traveling  in  the  afternoon; 
whether  we  could  leave  the  river  and  find  water  near  by,  or 
if  not,  to  remain  in  camp  till  the  morrow.  Those  who  went 
out  to  ascertain  the  nature  of  the  country  returned  late,  and 
we  determined  to  pass  the  night  in  this  place,  which  we  called 
San  Felipe. 

Today,  four  leagues. 

23d  day  of  August.  We  left  the  camp  of  San  Felipe  on 
the  San  Pedro  river,  climbed  a  hill,  and,  along  the  foot  of  a 
mountain  known  as  Tabechuahis,  so  called  by  the  Yutas  who 
dwell  in  those  parts,  we  covered  a  distance  of  four  leagues, 
which,  on  account  of  the  many  turns  we  made,  could  not  be 
more  than  two  leagues  to  the  east  of  San  Felipe.  We  had 
left  the  San  Pedro,  which  has  its  rise  in  the  Grulla  (Crane) 
in  that  spur  of  the  mountain  which  they  call  la  Plata,  and 
which  runs  toward  the  north,  turns  to  the  northwest,  and  then 
to  the  west,  until  it  unites  with  the  Dolores,  near  the  small 
range  of  mountains  known  as  the  Salt,  because  near  it  are  a 
number  of  saline  pools  from  which  the  Yutas,  who  dwell  in 
these  parts,  supply  their  needs.  It  is  a  river  of  moderate 
size.  We  stopped  for  our  midday  rest  near  a  perennial  sup- 
ply of  water  that  descends  from  the  mountain.  In  the  level 
country,  in  the  northern  part,  there  is  a  valley  affording 
good  pasturage,  and  near  it  a  piece  of  ground  shaped  like  an 
eyebrow,  upon  which  we  found  the  ruins  of  an  ancient  town 
whose  houses  seem  to  have  been  built  of  stone;  with  this 
material  the  Tabehuachis  Yutas  have  constructed  a  frail  and 
crude  intrenchment.  Here  we  found  good  pasturage  for  the 
animals,  which  has  been  lacking  ever  since  we  were  in 
camp  at  Asuncion,  on  the  Dolores  river,  until  today,  as  the 


THE   CATHOLIC   CHURCH  IN  UTAH  141 

soil  was  so  burned  and  dry  that  it  appeared  to  have  received 
no  rain  all  summer. 

During  the  afternoon  it  began  to  rain,  and  continued  for 
upwards  of  an  hour  and  a  half.  We  continued  our  journey, 
going  up  the  mountain  of  the  Tabehuachis  by  way  of  a  lofty 
and  precipitous  road;  and  when  we  had  gone  a  ]eague  to  the 
northeast  and  another  to  the  east,  a  Tabehuachi  Yuta  over- 
took us.  He  was  the  first  one  we  had  met  since  the  day  we 
left  Abiquiii,  where  we  had  seen  two  others.  In  order  to  be 
able  to  converse  leisurely  with  him,  we  pitched  our  camp  near 
a  spring  of  water,  where  we  rested  during  the  heat  of  the 
day,  and  which  we  called  the  Fountain  of  the  Guide.  We 
gave  him  something  to  eat  and  to  smoke,  and  afterwards,  by 
means  of  an  interpreter,  we  questioned  him  concerning  the 
country  which  lay  before  us,  and  about  the  rivers  and  their 
courses.  We  also  asked  him  concerning  the  whereabouts  of 
the  Tabehuachis,  Muhuachis  and  the  Sabuaganas. 

At  first  he  pretended  to  be  ignorant  of  everything,  even 
concerning  the  country  in  which  he  lived.  After  he  lost  the 
fear  and  suspicions  he  had  entertained  toward  us,  he  told  us 
that  all  the  Sabuaganas  were  in  their  own  country,  and  that 
we  would  meet  them  very  soon;  that  the  Tabehuachis  were 
scattered  about  among  these  mountains  and  vicinity.  He 
said  that  the  rivers  from  the  San  Pedro  to  the  San 
Rafael,  inclusive,  How  into  the  Dolores,  and  then  unite  with 
the  Navajo.  We  proposed  that  he  guide  us  to  the  village  of  a 
Sabeguana  chief,  who,  our  interpreter  said,  was  well  dis- 
posed towards  the  Spaniards,  and  acquainted  with  a  good 
deal  of  this  territory.  He  agreed  to  do  so  if  we  could  wait 
for  him  until  the  afternoon  of  the  next  day,  to  which  we 
agreed,  partly  that  he  might  guide  us,  and  partly  to  remove 
any  suspicions  that  we  might  be  meditating  something 
against  him,  that  would  awaken  resentment  in  him  and  in 
others. 

Today,  six  leagues. 

24th  day  of  August.  Before  twelve  o'clock  our  Yuta  ar- 
rived at  our  camp,  where  we  were  awaiting  him,  bringing 


142  THE   CATHOLIC  CHURCH  IN  UTAH 

with  him  his  family,  two  women  and  five  children,  two  of 
them  at  the  breast,  and  three  from  eight  to  ten  years  old ;  all 
of  them  very  decent  in  appearance  and  quite  talkative.  They 
thought  we  had  come  to  engage  in  trade,  and  for  that  reason 
brought  with  them  antelope  skins  and  other  things.  Among 
these  were  small  apple-raisins,  black  in  color,  of  which  we 
have  spoken  before,  and  which  resemble  small  grapes,  and 
are  very  agreeable  to  the  taste.  We  explained  to  them  that 
we  had  not  come  on  the  business  they  thought  we  had,  nor 
did  we  bring  any  goods  to  trade.  In  order  that  they  might 
not  think  we  were  explorers  of  the  land,  and  with  a  view  of 
keeping  them  well  disposed  toward  us  when  they  were  absent 
from  us,  as  well  as  that  they  might  not  seek  to  embarrass  us 
in  our  progress,  and  judging  that  from  the  Cosninas  they 
might  have  learned  something  of  the  trip  made  by  the  R.  P. 
Fray  Francisco  Garces  to  the  Yutas  Payuchis,  and  thence  to 
other  tribes,  we  told  them  that  one  of  the  Fathers,  our  broth- 
er, had  gone  to  Cosnina  and  Moqui,  and  from  this  latter 
place  had  returned  to  Cosnina.  On  hearing  this,  their  suspi- 
cions were  allayed  at  once,  and  they  appreciated  our  anxiety 
to  put  ourselves  on  good  terms  with  them,  and  told  us  they 
had  known  nothing  of  the  Father  to  whom  we  referred.  We 
gave  them  all  something  to  eat,  and  the  guide's  wife  pre- 
sented us  with  a  piece  of  dried  venison,  and  two  plates  of 
the  raisins  to  which  I  have  referred. 

We  returned  the  compliment  by  giving  them  some  flour. 
In  the  afternoon  we  gave  the  Yuta  the  price  he  asked  for 
guiding  us,  two  belduques  (knives),  and  sixteen  strings  of 
white  glass  beads,  which  he  handed  to  his  wife,  who  departed 
at  once  along  with  the  rest  of  the  family  to  their  village,  while 
he  remained  with  us,  and  from  this  on  he  was  known  by  the 
name  of  Atanasio.  Leaving  the  Fountain  of  the  Guide,  we 
crossed  along  the  side  of  the  mountain  to  the  east,  half  a 
league,  and  another  half  league  to  the  east-southeast,  and 
a  quarter  of  a  league  to  the  southeast,  we  turned  east ;  leav- 
ing a  trail  which  leads  off  to  the  southeast,  we  took  another, 
and  having  gone  three-quarters  of  a  league,  one  to  the  south- 


THE   CATHOLIC    CHUECH   IN  UTAH  143 

east  and  two  to  the  east,  we  stopped  in  a  valley  whose  sides 
are  lofty  but  not  difficult  to  climb,  for  which  reason  we  called 
it  the  Deep  Valley.  In  it  there  exists  a  copious  spring  of 
good  water,  plenty  of  fuel  and  an  abundance  of  pasturage 
for  the  animals. 

Today,  two  leagues. 

25th  day  of  August.  We  left  camp  in  Deep  Valley  and 
pursued  our  way  in  an  easterly  direction  through  dense  oak 
brush  for  a  distance  of  half  a  league;  we  then  descended  to 
the  southwest,  over  country  that  afforded  fewer  obstacles, 
and  along  this  trail  we  journeyed  three  and  a  half  leagues, 
and  then  turned  to  the  east  another  half  league.  We  now 
began  to  cross  the  mountain  in  a  northeasterly  direction,  and 
at  a  distance  of  a  league  and  a  half  over  fairly  good  country, 
free  from  brush  and  without  any  difficult  points  to  climb,  we 
reached  its  summit,  covered  with  good  grass,  and  very  beau- 
tiful in  aspect,  because  of  the  thickets  and  poplar  groves  lying 
closely  together.  Here  we  found  three  trails,  and  we  chose 
the  one  that  leads  to  the  northeast.  Having  gone  a  league 
and  a  half  in  this  direction,  we  stopped  while  we  were  on  the 
northern  slope  of  the  mountain  and  near  an  abundant  spring 
of  water,  to  which  we  gave  the  name  of  Lain  Spring.  The 
water  comes  out  of  the  ground  only  about  six  steps  from  the 
eastern  side  of  the  trail.  Before  we  were  able  to  prepare  our 
meal,  of  which  we  were  greatly  in  need,  a  heavy  rain  fell 
upon  us. 

Today,  seven  leagues  and  a  half. 

26th  day  of  August.  We  left  Lain  Spring  and  traveled 
in  a  northeasterly  direction  one  league.  At  this  point  the 
trail  that  we  had  followed  divides  into  two,  one  leading  to- 
wards the  east-northeast,  and  the  other  towards  the  north- 
east. We  followed  the  latter,  and  after  we  had  traveled  two 
leagues  and  a  half  to  the  northeast  we  finished  the  descent 
of  the  mountain,  and  entered  the  pleasant  valley  of  the  river 
of  San  Francisco,  called  by  the  Yutas  the  Ancapagari,  which 
the  interpreter  tells  us  means  Colorado  Lake,  from  the  fact 
that  near  its  source  there  is  a  spring  of  reddish  water,  hot 


144  THE   CATHOLIC   CHURCH   IN   UTAH 

and  disagreeable  to  the  taste.  The  plain  through  which  this 
river  runs  is  broad  and  level,  and  a  well-traveled  road  passes 
through  it.  We  journeyed  down  stream  a  league  and  a  half 
to  the  northwest,  and  camped  near  an  extended  marsh, 
which  abounds  in  pasturage  and  which  we  called  the  marsh 
of  San  Francisco. 

Today,  five  leagues. 

A  DESCRIPTION  OF  THE  MOUNTAINS  SEEN  UP  TO 

THIS  TIME. 

That  of  the  Grulla  (Crane)  and  that  of  La  Plata  (Silver) 
have  their  beginning  near  a  place  called  El  Cobre  (Copper), 
and  near  to  a  town  now  deserted;  from  its  beginning  it 
ranges  to  the  northwest,  and  about  seventy  leagues  from 
Santa  Fe  it  forms  a  point  towards  the  west-southwest,  and 
is  called  the  Sierra  de  la  Plata  (Mountain  of  Silver).  From 
this  point  it  continues  to  the  north-northeast,  descending 
towards  the  north  from  a  point  a  little  before  one  reaches 
the  mountain  of  the  Tabehuachis  as  far  as  another  small  one, 
known  as  the  Sierra  Venado  Alazan  (Sorrel-colored  Deer,) 
where  it  comes  to  an  end  on  the  north.  On  the  east  it  forms 
a  junction,  so  it  is  said,  with  the  Red  Ochre  mountain  and 
with  the  Sierra  Blanca  (White  Range). 

On  the  west-southwest,  looking  towards  the  west  from  the 
point  of  La  Plata,  about  thirty  leagues  distant,  one  sees  an- 
other small  mountain  called  The  Datil  (Date).  From  the 
western  slope  of  this  range  all  the  rivers  that  we  have  passed 
thus  far  flow,  and  also  those  that  lie  before  us  as  far  as  the 
San  Rafael,  which  also  flows  in  that  direction.  The  range  of 
the  Tabehuachis,  which  we  have  just  crossed,  extends  in  a 
northwest  direction,  some  thirty  leagues,  and  where  we 
crossed  it  has  a  width  of  eight  or  ten  leagues. 

It  abounds  in  good  pasture  land,  is  very  moist,  and  pos- 
sesses a  soil  well  adapted  for  cultivating;  it  furnishes  in 
great  plenty  pine  timber,  spruce,  the  Clustian  pine,  small  oak, 
several  kinds  of  wild  fruit,  and  in  some  places  flax;  there  is 
an  abundance  of  antelope,  deer  and  other  animals,  and  there 
is  a  kind  of  chicken  whose  size  and  shape  are  very  much  like 


THE   CATHOLIC    CHURCH   IN   UTAH  145 

those  of  our  domestic  fowl,  only  that  it  has  no  crest ;  its  flesh 
is  exceedingly  palatable.  About  twenty  leagues  to  the  west 
of  this  range  is  that  known  as  the  Salt  range,  which  looks 
small  from  this  distance.  Towards  the  west-southwest,  about 
four  leagues  away,  one  can  catch  a  glimpse  of  a  range  that 
bears  the  name  of  the  Sierra  de  Abajo  (Lower  Range). 

The  river  that  I  have  mentioned  as  that  of  San  Francisco 
is  of  moderate  size  and  a  little  larger  than  that  of  Dolores; 
it  is  composed  of  several  streams  which  come  down  from 
the  western  slope  of  the  Grullas,  and  flows  to  the  north- 
west; so  far  as  we  can  judge  here,  it  has  on  its  banks 
level  lands  that  are  quite  suitable  for  cultivation,  provided 
they  could  be  irrigated;  it  has  some  three  leagues  of  good 
land,  and  there  is  everything  that  is  needed  to  make  it  a  suit- 
able spot  in  which  to  build  a  town.  On  the  north  of  this 
plain  land  there  is  a  range  of  low  mountains,  and  hills  of  lead 
color  crowned  with  yellow  earth. 

27th  day  of  August.  We  left  the  San  Francisco  mountain 
and  journeyed  down  the  river  in  a  northwesterly  direction; 
and  having  traveled  a  short  distance  we  met  a  Yuta  by  the 
name  of  Surdo,  with  his  family.  We  spent  some  time  with 
him,  but,  after  a  lengthy  conversation,  came  to  the  conclusion 
that  there  was  no  information  to  be  gained  from  him;  and 
we  had  simply  suffered  from  the  heat  of  the  sun,  which  was 
very  intense,  while  we  were  talking  with  him.  We  continued 
our  journey  over  the  plain,  and  having  traveled  two  leagues 
to  the  west,  we  crossed  the  river,  and  passing  through  a 
grove  of  shady  poplars  and  other  trees,  which  grow  here 
along  its  bank,  we  climbed  a  small  hill  and  entered  upon  a 
plain  void  of  verdure,  and  covered  with  small  stones.  Hav- 
ing pursued  our  way  down  the  river  three  leagues  and  a  half 
to  the  north-northwest,  we  pitched  our  camp  in  another  fer- 
tile spot  near  the  same  river,  which  we  called  San  Augustine 
el  Grande  (Saint  Augustine  the  Great),  and  on  each  bank  of 
this  river  we  found  abundant  pasture,  and  much  black  poplar 
timber. 

Today,  six  leagues. 


146  THE   CATHOLIC   CHURCH  IN  UTAH 

Farther  down  the  river,  and  about  four  leagues  north  of 
this  plain  of  San  Augustine,  the  river  forms  a  junction  with 
a  larger  one,  called  by  the  people  of  our  party  the  River  of 
San  Javier  (Saint  Xavier),  and  by  the  Yutas  the  River 
Tomichi.  There  came  to  these  two  rivers  in  the  year  1761 
Don  Juan  Maria  de  Rivera,  crossing  this  same  range  of  the 
Tabehuachis,  on  whose  summit  is  the  spot  he  called  Purga- 
tory, according  to  the  description  he  gives  in  his  journal. 
The  place  where  he  camped  before  crossing  the  river,  and 
where  he  said  he  cut  the  figure  of  the  cross  on  a  youDg  poplar 
tree,  with  the  initials  of  his  name,  and  the  year  of  his  expedi- 
tion, are  still  found  at  the  junction  of  these  rivers  on  the 
southern  bank,  as  we  were  informed  by  our  interpreter, 
Andres  Muniz,  who  came  with  the  said  Don  Juan  Maria 
the  year  referred  to,  as  far  as  the  Tabehuachi  mountain, 
saying  that  although  he  had  remained  behind  three  days' 
journey  before  reaching  the  river,  he  came  last  year  (1775) 
along  its  bank  with  Pedro  Mora  and  Gregoria  Sandoval, 
who  had  accompanied  Don  Juan  Maria  in  the  expedition  I 
have  referred  to.  They  said  that  they  had  come  as  far  as  the 
river  at  that  time,  and  from  that  point  they  had  begun  their 
return  journey;  only  two  persons  sent  by  Don  Juan  Maria 
had  crossed  the  river,  to  look  for  Yutas  on  the  shore  that 
was  opposite  the  camp,  and  from  which  point  they  returned; 
and  so  it  was  this  river  that  they  judged  at  that  time  to  be 
the  great  river  Tizon. 

28th  day  of  August.  We  left  the  plain  of  San  Augustine, 
leaving  the  river  of  San  Francisco  to  the  north,  and  traveled 
half  a  league,  going  three  leagues  and  a  half  to  the  northeast, 
on  good  ground  and  without  stones,  and  arrived  at  the  before 
mentioned  river  of  San  Francisco  Javier  (commonly  called 
San  Xavier),  another  name  for  the  Tomichi,  that  is  made  up 
of  four  small  rivers  that  flow  to  the  last  point  of  the  Sierra  de 
la  Grrulla.  It  is  as  large  as  the  river  of  the  north,  flows  to  the 
west,  and  in  the  western  part  of  the  Sierra  del  Vena  do  Ala- 
zan,  it  joins,  as  we  have  said,  with  the  San  Francisco.  Its 
banks  here  are  very  arid,  and  in  a  wide  part  of  it,  where  we 


THE   CATHOLIC   CHURCH  IN  UTAH  147 

found  some  good  pasturage  for  the  animals,  and  named 
Santa  Monica,  we  gladly  halted  for  awhile  for  rest ;  then  pro- 
ceeded up  the  river  until  we  came  to  some  villages  of  the 
Sabaguanas,  that  yesterday  we  thought  were  near  here,  and 
in  them  we  met  some  Indians  of  the  Timpangotzis,  to  whose 
settlement  we  had  intended  to  go;  but  on  considering  that  it 
would  take  us  out  of  the  way  to  continue  up  the  river  in  this 
direction,  that  it  would  injure  the  animals,  who  were 
already  lame,  and  that  it  would  be  necessary  to  carry  consid- 
erable provisions  in  going  to  their  settlement,  we  concluded 
to  send  an  interpreter  with  the  guide,  Atanasio,  to  ask  if 
some  of  them,  or  of  the  Lagunas  (lake-men),  would  guide  us 
as  far  as  they  knew  if  we  paid  them.  They  went,  and  the  rest 
of  us  waited  for  them  at  Santa  Monica. 

Today,  four  leagues.  We  observed  the  latitude  of  this 
place  by  the  meridian  of  the  sun,  and  found  it  to  be  39  de- 
grees 13  minutes  22  seconds. 

29th  day  of  August.  About  ten  o'clock  in  the  morning 
five  Yutas-Sabuaguanas  were  seen  on  the  opposite  bank 
making  a  great  hue  and  cry.  We  thought  they  were  those 
that  our  men  had  gone  to  look  for;  but  when  they  came  to 
where  we  were  we  saw  they  were  not.  WTe  gave  them  some- 
thing to  eat  and  to  smoke,  but  after  a  long  conversation  about 
the  difficulties  they  had  had  during  the  summer  with  the 
Comanches-Yamparicas,  we  could  not  get  from  them  any- 
thing useful  to  our  interests,  because  their  design  was  to 
make  us  afraid,  exaggerating  the  danger  to  which  we  were 
exposing  ourselves,  as  the  Comanches  would  kill  us  if  we 
continued  on  this  course.  We  destroyed  the  force  of  the  pre- 
texts with  which  they  tried  to  stop  our  progress,  by  saying 
to  them  that  our  God,  who  is  above  all,  would  defend  us  in 
case  of  an  encounter  with  our  enemies. 

30th  day  of  August.  In  the  morning,  Andres,  the  in- 
terpreter, and  the  guide,  Atanasio,  with  five  Sabuaganas  and 
one  Laguna,  arrived.  After  we  had  given  them  food  and 
tobacco  we  told  them  of  our  desire  to  go  to  the  villages  of 
the  Lagunas  (the  Yutas  had  told  us  that  the  Lagunas  lived 


148  THE   CATHOLIC   CHURCH   IN   UTAH 

in  villages  like  those  of  New  Mexico),  saying  to  them  that 
as  they  were  our  friends  they  should  furnish  us  a  good 
guide,  who  could  conduct  us  to  those  people,  and  that  we 
would  pay  them  what  they  wished.  They  replied  that  to  go 
where  we  wished  there  was  no  other  road  than  the  one  which 
passed  through  the  Comanches'  country;  that  these  would 
impede  our  passage,  and  even  take  our  lives;  and  also  that 
none  of  them  knew  the  country  between  here  and  the  La- 
gunas.  They  repeated  this  many  times,  insisting  that  we 
should  turn  back  from  here;  we  tried  to  convince  them,  first 
by  reasoning  and  then  by  presents,  so  as  not  to  offend  them. 
We  then  presented  the  Laguna  with  a  woolen  cloak,  a  knife 
and  some  white  glass  beads,  saying  that  we  gave  these  to 
him  so  that  he  would  accompany  us  and  guide  us  to  his  coun- 
try. He  agreed  to  do  so,  and  we  gave  them  to  him.  Seeing 
this,  the  Sabaguanas  suggested  no  further  difficulties,  and 
some  of  them  even  confessed  to  knowing  the  road. 

After  all  this  they  urged  us  to  go  to  their  village,  saying 
that  the  Laguna  did  not  know  the  way;  we  knew  very  well 
that  it  was  only  an  invitation  to  detain  us  and  to  enjoy 
longer  our  gifts.  Many  others  came  today,  and  we  gave  them 
something  to  eat  and  to  smoke;  so  as  not  to  give  them  occa- 
sion to  be  offended  nor  to  lose  so  good  a  guide  as  we  had 
found,  we  concluded  to  go  to  their  village.  This  afternoon 
we  left  Santa  Monica,  crossed  the  river  of  San  Xavier,  where 
we  watered  the  animals,  ascended  the  hill,  and  over  broken 
ground,  without  stones,  we  went  up  the  river  to  the  north- 
west two  leagues,  and  traveled  two  more  over  ground  less 
broken,  but  covered  with  burnt  grass  and  much  cacti,  and 
very  stony,  to  the  northeast,  and  halted  on  the  bank  of  a 
small  river  that  we  called  Santa  Rosa;  it  rises  in  the  Venada 
Alazan,  on  whose  southern  slope  we  are,  and  enters  into  the 
San  Xavier.  Here  there  is  a  small  plain  of  good  pasturage 
and  a  forest  of  white  poplar  and  small  oak.  The  Saba- 
guanas and  the  Laguna  kept  with  our  company. 

Today,  four  leagues. 

31st  day  of  August.    Leaving  the  river  of  Santa  Rosa  de 


THE   CATHOLIC    CHUECH   IN   UTAH  149 

Lima,  we  traveled  to  the  northeast  a  league  and  a  half,  over 
a  good  road,  and  arrived  at  another  river  that  descends  from 
the  same  mountains  as  the  former  one,  and  with  it  enters  into 
the  San  Xavier,  naming  it  the  river  of  Santa  Monica,  in  val- 
leys and  plains  of  which  are  all  that  is  necessary  for  the  estab- 
lishment of  two  towns.  We  traveled  up  the  river  by  the  level 
ground  and  through  the  groves  which  line  its  banks,  four 
leagues  and  a  half  to  the  northeast,  crossing  it  once.  Drop- 
ping to  the  north,  and  again  crossing  the  river,  we  entered  a 
mountain  covered  with  trees,  and  began  a  very  rough  journey 
that  lasted  for  about  three  miles;  we  then  proceeded  up  the 
Sierra  del  Venado  Alazan  through  a  glen  with  very  steep 
sides,  over  a  thick  growth  of  small  oak,  and  going  four 
leagues  to  the  north,  we  halted  at  a  living  spring  that  we 
named  San  Ramon  Nonnato.  One  of  the  Yuta  Sabaguanas 
that  came  with  us  from  Santa  Monica  today  ate  in  so  beastly 
and  hoggish  manner  that  we  thought  he  would  die  of 
apoplexy.  Finding  himself  so  sick,  he  said  the  Spaniards 
had  done  him  harm.  This  foolish  idea  made  us  very  careful, 
because  we  knew  that  these  savages,  if  they  became  ill  after 
having  eaten  what  others  ate,  even  though  one  of  themselves 
gave  the  food  to  them,  believe  that  the  person  who  gave  them 
to  eat  made  them  sick,  and  would  try  to  revenge  the  wrong 
which  they  thought  had  been  done  them;  but  God  saved  him 
by  causing  him  to  vomit  much  of  the  food  which  he  could  not 
digest. 

Today,  nine  leagues. 

1st  day  of  September.  Leaving  San  Ramon,  going  north, 
and  traveling  three  leagues  through  small  glens  of  good  pas- 
turage and  thick  growths  of  small  oak,  we  came  across  eight 
Yutas,  all  on  good  horses,  many  of  them,  of  the  village 
to  which  we  were  going.  They  told  us  they  were  going  to 
hunt;  but  we  judged  that  they  traveled  in  such  numbers  to 
show  their  strength,  and  to  see  if  we  were  alone,  or  if  other 
Spaniards  came  after  us ;  knowing  from  the  night  before  that 
we  were  going  to  their  village,  it  would  not  be  customary  for 
all  of  the  men  to  leave  at  the  same  time,  unless  for  the  rea- 


150  THE   CATHOLIC   CHURCH  IS  UTAH 

son  we  have  given.  We  proceeded  with  only  the  Laguna,  de- 
scending a  very  rough  mountain  and  entering  a  beautiful 
valley  in  which  there  was  a  small  river,  on  the  banks  of 
which  was  a  forest  of  very  high,  straight  pine  trees,  and 
among  them  some  poplars  that  seemed  to  rival  the  height  and 
straightness  of  the  pines.  Through  this  valley  we  traveled 
one  league  to  the  east,  and  arrived  at  a  village  composed  of 
thirty  wigwams.  We  stopped  a  mile  below  it  on  the  banks 
of  the  river,  and  named  our  stopping  place  from  San  Antonio 
Martir. 

Today,  four  leagues  (in  all  199  leagues). 

As  soon  as  we  had  stopped,  Father  Fray  Francisco  Ata- 
nasio  went  to  the  village  with  the  interpreter,  Andres  Muiiiz, 
to  see  the  chief  and  the  others  who  had  remained  with  him; 
having  saluted  him  and  his  sons  affectionately,  he  asked  that 
all  the  people  might  be  summoned.  The  chief  consented,  and 
when  all  of  both  sexes  had  joined  him,  Father  Atanasio  an- 
nounced to  them  the  Gospel  by  the  interpreter,  who  pointed 
out  to  them  our  guide  and  the  Laguna.  As  soon  as  the 
Father  began  to  talk  to  them,  our  guide  interrupted  the  inter- 
preter in  order  to  advise  the  Sabuaganas,  as  his  countrymen, 
that  they  ought  to  believe  all  that  the  Father  said,  because  it 
was  all  true.  The  other  Laguna  showed  his  pleasure  by  the 
attention  which  he  gave  to  the  speech  of  the  Father. 

Among  the  hearers  was  a  deaf  man,  who,  not  knowing 
what  was  going  on,  asked  what  it  was  the  Father  said;  then 
the  Laguna  replied,  "The  Father  says,  that  this  which  he 
shows  to  us  (it  was  a  picture  of  the  crucified  Christ)  is  the 
only  Lord  of  all,  who  lives  in  the  highest  heaven;  and,  iri 
order  to  please  Him  and  to  see  Him,  it  is  necessary  to  be 
baptized  and  to  ask  pardon  of  Him. ' '  He  showed  how  to  ask 
pardon  by  crossing  himself  on  the  breast.  It  was  a  wonder- 
ful action  for  him,  as  he  had  probably  never  seen  it  done 
before,  neither  by  the  priest  nor  by  the  interpreter. 

The  Father,  seeing  the  pleasure  with  which  they  heard 
him,  then  proposed  to  the  chief  who  at  the  time  ruled  the 
tribe  that  if,  after  talking  the  matter  over  with  his  people,  he 


THE   CATHOLIC    CHUKCH   IN   UTAH  151 

should  be  willing  to  receive  baptism,  we  would  come  to  in- 
struct them  and  teach  them  how  to  live  aright,  in  order  to 
baptize  them.  He  replied  that  he  would  submit  it  to 
his  people;  but  all  that  afternoon  he  failed  "to  give  any  evi- 
dence which  would  encourage  us  to  believe  that  they  ac- 
cepted our  proposition.  The  Father,  rejoicing  at  the 
the  last  one,  (the  guide  whom  we  had  called  Silvestre,)  and 
understanding  that  he  was  known  as  Oso  Colorado  (Red 
Bear),  he  preached  to  all  of  them,  explaining  the  difference 
that  there  is  between  men  and  the  brutes,  the  end  for  which 
each  was  created,  and  the  evil  there  was  in  calling  themselves 
after  wild  beasts,  making  themselves  in  this  way  equal  to, 
and  even  inferior,  to  them.  He  continued  by  saying  to  the 
Laguna  that  in  the  future  he  would  be  called  Francisco. 

The  others  hearing  this  began  to  repeat  the  name,  al- 
though with  a  great  deal  of  effort,  the  Laguna  himself  being 
well  pleased  with  his  new  name.  It  happened  also  that  when 
the  Father  called  to  the  chief  that  this  one  replied  that  he 
was  not  the  holder  of  that  office;  that  it  belonged  to  a  fine- 
looking  young  man  who  was  present.  Being  asked  if  the 
young  man  was  married,  he  replied  that  he  was ;  that  he  had 
two  wives.  The  young  Indian  was  ashamed  of  this  (the  older 
one  seemed  to  honor  the  young  fellow  as  being  a  brother  of 
a  famous  captain  among  the  Sabaguanas,  whom  they  called 
Yamputzi),  and  he  tried  to  make  out  that  he  had  only  one 
wife. 

From  this  it  may  be  inferred  that  these  savages  had  some 
idea  or  knowledge  of  the  disgust  that  is  caused  among  civi- 
lized men  by  one  man  having  several  wives  at  the  same  time. 
The  Father  took  this  as  his  text,  and  used  the  occasion  for 
imparting  instruction  upon  this  point,  and  of  exhorting  them 
that  each  should  have  only  one  wife.  After  all  this  had  taken 
place  we  bought  from  them  a  little  dried  buffalo  meat,  giving 
in  exchange  strings  of  beads ;  and  we  also  said  to  them  that 
we  would  be  glad  if  they  would  permit  us  to  exchange  some 
of  our  horses  that  were  foot-sore  for  others  of  theirs.  They 
assented  to  this,  and  said  that  the  exchange  should  take  place 


152  THE   CATHOLIC   CHURCH  Ii*   UTAH 

in  the  afternoon.  When  this  was  arranged  the  Father  re- 
turned to  the  camp. 

Before  the  sun  had  set  the  chief  came  with  some  of  the  old 
men,  and  many  others,  to  the  place  where  we  were.  They 
began  by  trying  to  persuade  us  to  return  from  this  point, 
dwelling  anew  and  with  greater  energy  upon  the  difficulties 
and  dangers  that  lay  before  us  in  case  we  continued  our  jour- 
ney forward,  assuring  us  that  the  Comanches  would  not  con- 
sent to  it,  adding  that  they  said  this  not  to  stop  our  going 
ahead  in  whatever  direction  we  pleased,  but  that  they  did  it 
because  they  liked  us  and  esteemed  us  very  greatly.  We 
replied  that  the  God  whom  we  adored  would  open  the  way 
before  us,  and  would  defend  us,  not  only  from  the  Comanches, 
but  also  from  all  others  who  might  wish  to  do  us  harm,  and 
that  we  were  very  certain  that  the  Divine  Majesty  was  on 
our  side,  and  nothing  that  they  had  described  to  us  did  we 
fear.  Seeing  that  their  pretexts  were  unavailing,  they  said 
that  if  we  preferred  to  go  forward  without  paying  attention 
to  what  they  had  said  that  we  should  write  to  the  great  cap- 
tain of  the  Spaniards  (thus  they  styled  the  governor),  telling 
him  that  we  had  passed  through  their  territory,  in  order  that 
if  any  evil  should  befall  us  and  we  should  not  return,  that 
the  Spaniards  might  not  think  that  they  had  deprived  us  of 
our  lives. 

This  was  the  judgment  of  several  of  our  party,  who 
wished  either  to  return  or  to  remain  with  them.  We  replied 
that  we  would  write  the  letter,  and  that  we  would  leave  it 
with  them,  in  order  that  when  any  of  them  should  go  to  New 
Mexico  they  might  take  it  with  them.  They  said  that  none  of 
their  people  could  take  it;  that  we  should  send  it  by  one  of 
our  own  party.  We  explained  to  them  that  none  of  ours  could 
go,  nor  could  they  stay  with  them.  At  last,  since  they  could 
find  no  other  way  to  prevent  our  going  forward,  they  said 
that  if  we  did  not  return  from  this  point  that  they  could  not 
exchange  the  horses  that  we  had  and  that  were  foot-sore. 
We  insisted  that  although  they  might  not  exchange  the 
horses,  we  were  bent  upon  going  forward,  because  by  no 


THE   CATHOLIC   CHURCH  IN  UTAH  153 

means  could  we  return  without  knowing  which  way  our 
brother  priest  had  gone  who  had  been  with  the  Moquis  and 
Cosninas,  and  who  might  be  lost. 

To  this  they  replied,  inspired  by  those  of  our  party  who 
understood  their  language  and  secretly  warred  against  our 
plans,  that  the  priests  could  not  lose  themselves,  because  they 
had  all  the  country  and  the  roads  delineated  on  their  maps. 
They  returned  to  their  arguments,  going  over  all  they  had 
argued,  and  begging  us  to  return  from  this  point,  and  on 
beholding  that  our  determination  was  an  inflexible  one,  they 
repeated  what  they  had  said  before,  that  they  had  warned 
us  only  because  they  had  loved  us;  but  that  if  after  all  we 
were  bent  on  going  ahead  that  they  would  not  interrupt  our 
progress,  and  would  exchange  the  horses.  They  separated 
from  us  after  nightfall,  entertaining  the  hope  of  changing 
our  determination  on  the  following  day;  for  we  had  noticed 
that  they  told  it  to  Felipe  of  Abiquiu;  the  interpreter, 
Andres,  and  his  brother,  Lucrecio,  who  were  the  ones  that, 
either  from  fear  or  from  a  disinclination  to  go  forward, 
secretly  inspired  the  Sabaguanas  from  the  moment  they  were 
aware  of  their  opposition  to  our  movements;  and  this  had 
caused  us  not  a  little  sorrow,  which  was  increased  by  the  fol- 
lowing: From  the  time  we  were  ready  to  start  from  Santa 
Fe  we  had  told  our  companions  that  all  those  who  cared  to 
accompany  us  on  this  trip  should  not  take  along  anything 
with  which  to  trade,  and  that  those  who  did  not  wish  to 
accept  this  condition  might  remain  behind.  They  all  prom- 
ised not  to  take  anything,  nor  to  have  any  other  purpose  than 
the  one  we  had,  which  was  the  glory  of  God  and  the  good  of 
souls.  For  this  reason  there  was  given  to  them  whatever 
was  necessary  for  their  preparation  and  for  the  maintenance 
of  their  families.  But  some  of  them  failed  to  abide  by  the 
agreement,  and  secretly  carried  along  with  them  a  number 
of  articles  that  we  did  not  know  of  until  we  were  near  to  the 
Sabaguanas. 

We  urged  upon  all  of  them  that  none  of  them  should 
engage  in  any  commercial  transaction,  in  order  that  the  un- 


154  THE   CATHOLIC   CHURCH   IN   UTAH 

believers  might  understand  that  a  higher  motive  had  brought 
us  to  these  provinces.  We  said  to  the  Sabuaguans  that  we 
were  not  in  need  of  weapons,  nor  of  people,  because  all  our 
security  and  defense  were  in  the  omnipotent  arm  of  God; 
and  Andres  Mufiiz,  with  his  brother  Lucrecio,  feigning  to  be 
such  obedient,  faithful  and  good  Christians,  traded  what  they 
had  secretly  brought,  and  earnestly  solicited  weapons  of  the 
unbelievers,  telling  them  that  they  were  in  great  need  of 
them,  because  they  were  about  to  pass  through  the  territory 
of  the  Comanches;  in  which  matter,  to  our  great  grief,  they 
showed  they  had  little  or  no  faith,  and  proved  their  little 
iitness  for  enterprises  of  this  kind. 

2d  day  of  September.  Early  in  the  morning  the  same 
people  came,  and  in  larger  numbers  than  on  yesterday  after- 
noon. They  reiterated  the  arguments  they  had  used  before, 
adding  to  them  another  and  greater  difficulty;  because  they 
dissuaded  the  Laguna  from  his  intention  of  guiding  us,  and 
they  compelled  him  to  return  to  us  that  which  we  had  paid 
him  for  guiding  us  to  his  country.  After  having  argued  more 
than  an  hour  and  a  half,  without  persuading  the  guide  to 
take  that  which  he  had  once  received,  and  fulfil  his  promise 
to  us,  and  without  their  ceasing  to  oppose  us,  we  told  them, 
with  an  earnestness  that  seemed  fitting  at  such  a  juncture, 
that  since  the  Laguna  had  voluntarily  agreed  to  accompany 
us  to  his  country,  and  since  they  had  placed  so  many  difficul- 
ties in  our  way,  we  knew  clearly  and  for  a  certainty  why  they 
took  away  our  guide,  and  why  they  impeded  our  progress, 
but  that  we  would  not  turn  back  for  anything  they  might  do ; 
that  we  would  pursue  our  journey  without  any  guide,  even 
though  the  Laguna  would  not  accompany  us;  and  that  they 
should  understand  that  we  no  longer  considered  them  to  be 
our  friends.  On  hearing  this  they  were  somewhat  mollified, 
and  the  young  man  who  has  already  been  mentioned,  brother 
of  the  captain,  Yamputzi,  addressed  the  others  and  said  that 
since  the  way  had  been  opened  before  us,  and  the  Laguna 
had  agreed  to  be  our  guide,  it  was  not  just  that  we  should  be 


THE   CATHOLIC    CHUKCH   IN   UTAH  155 

embarrassed  in  any  way;  and  when  he  had  ceased  speaking 
of  the  matter  another  one,  whom  they  called  a  chief,  followed 
with  the  same  exhortation.  Then  all  said  to  the  Laguna  that 
he  could  no  longer  refuse  to  accompany  us ;  but  he  no  longer 
cared  to  do  so,  influenced  by  what  they  had  already  said. 
After  much  urging  and  flattery  he  received  his  pay,  although 
with  some  hesitation,  and  agreed  to  go  with  us. 

The  village  had  already  changed  its  location,  and  was 
moving  towards  the  spot  occupied  by  the  chief,  Yamputzi,  at 
the  time  that  we  went  out  from  the  stony  place  of  San  An- 
tonio Martir.  We  did  not  know  what  direction  to  take,  be- 
cause the  guide  who  had  repented  of  his  bargain  did  not  wish 
to  go  ahead,  nor  to  tell  us  the  way.  He  remained  near  the 
village  with  the  horse  we  had  given  him,  on  the  pretext  of 
looking  for  a  saddle,  we  following  where  the  Sabaguanas  had 
gone,  although  not  wishing  to,  because  we  desired  to  leave 
them.  We  charged  the  interpreter  to  get  him  away  as  soon 
as  possible,  and  tried  to  encourage  him.  He  did  so,  and  all 
the  Yutas  having  gone,  the  guide  now  showed  us  the  road, 
and  sent  the  interpreter  to  tell  us  to  return  where  he  was 
stopping.  Here  we  found  him  bidding  good-bye  to  his  coun- 
trymen, who  remained  with  the  Sabaguanas,  and  they  told 
him  how  to  arrange  the  journey. 

Along  with  the  guide,  Silvestre,  we  found  here  another 
Laguna,  who  wished  to  accompany  us.  As  we  had  not  known 
of  his  desire  before,  we  had  not  provided  a  horse  for  him,  and 
so  as  not  to  be  longer  detained,  Don  Juan  Lain  took  him  be- 
hind on  his  crupper.  With  great  pleasure  we  left  the  road 
that  led  to  the  village,  and  with  the  two  Lagunas,  Silvestre 
and  the  boy  that  we  named  Joaquin,  we  proceeded  on  our 
journey,  and  having  gone  back  a  league  to  the  west  of  San 
Antonio  we  took  another  road  and  traveled  less  than  a  league 
and  three-quarters  to  the  northeast,  and  more  than  a  quarter 
to  the  west-northwest,  and  stopped  in  a  small  valley  with  fine 
pasturage  near  a  little  river  of  good  water,  which  we  called 
San  Atanasio;  we  journeyed  over  good  ground,  and  through 


156  THE  CATHOLIC   CHURCH  IN  UTAH 

forests  of  poplar  and  thickets  of  small  oak.  Today,  three 
leagues,  but  really  only  two  leagues.    Tonight  it  rained  hard. 

3d  day  of  September.  It  began  to  rain  again  very  early 
in  the  morning,  and  we  were  obliged  to  stop  until  it  ceased, 
and  at  eleven  o'clock  we  left  San  Atanasio  in  a  northerly 
direction,  and  after  a  quarter  of  a  league  we  took  to  the 
northeast,  through  a  valley  of  groves  of  poplars  and  pines 
with  abundant  water  and  pasturage.  We  went  two  leagues 
and  a  quarter.  We  dropped  to  the  north-northwest  a  league, 
and  then  to  the  north  something  more  than  three-quarters, 
over  good  ground,  somewhat  hilly,  but  not  stony,  passing- 
through  a  forest  of  royal  pines,  poplars  and  thickets  of  small 
oak,  very  troublesome.  We  returned  to  the  north  northwest, 
a  quarter  of  a  league,  through  a  deep  glen,  through  which 
flows  as  much  water  as  a  medium  deep  furrow  would  hold; 
and  although  it  does  not  flow  through,  the  entire  glen,  for  in 
parts  it  is  hidden  entirely,  while  in  parts  it  flows  again,  and 
in  parts  in  troughs  like  rain  pools,  it  appears  permanent.  In 
many  parts  of  the  canon  there  are  little  huts  that  show  the 
Yutas  have  camped  here.  Following  the  bed  of  the  ravine  in 
which  the  stream  is  hidden  (it  can  be  seen  from  the  northern 
bank)  we  traveled  a  league  and  a  half  to  the  northeast,  and 
halted  almost  at  the  foot  of  a  mountain  which  the  Yutas 
called  Nabuncari,  naming  the  stopping  place  San  Silvestre. 

Today,  seven  leagues. 

4th  day  of  September.  We  left  San  Silvestre  in  a  north- 
west direction,  following  the  same  stream;  after  a  short  dis- 
tance we  turned  to  the  west-northwest,  and  went  two  leagues, 
turning  to  the  northwest;  we  climbed  a  hill  not  very  high^ 
leaving  the  bed  of  the  stream  to  the  south,  and  among  hill- 
ocks of  a  kind  of  broom  corn  we  went  more  than  half  a 
league.  We  went  by  another  small  river  that  enters  into  the 
same  stream  we  have  spoken  of;  passing  it,  we  climbed  the 
summit  of  another  hill,  somewhat  rocky,  and  going  almost 
a  quarter  of  a  league  to  the  southwest,  we  returned  again 
near  the  stream. 

Then  by  the  southern  bank  and  over  a  plain  of  wild-cane, 


THE   CATHOLIC   CHUKCH  IN  UTAH  157 

we  went  some  three-quarters  of  a  league  to  the  west,  passing 
a  bit  of  a  mountain  of  pinon,  and  entered  into  another 
canebrake,  where  were  three  Yuta  women  and  a  child,  pre- 
paring the  small  fruits  that  they  had  gathered  along  the 
streams  and  small  rivers  near  by.  We  spoke  to  them,  and 
they  gave  us  some  of  their  fruits,  which  were  cherries,  limes 
and  pine  nuts  of  this  year's  growth.  The  cherries  that  are 
grown  in  these  parts  are  very  sour,  but  dried,  as  these  Yutas 
prepare  them,  are  of  a  sweet-sour,  and  very  pleasant  taste. 
We  continued  our  journey,  and  having  gone  three  and  a  half 
leagues  to  the  west-northwest,  from  the  said  river,  passing 
near  cabins  of  the  Yutas,  in  the  opening  of  whose  settlement 
is  a  large  stone  standing  like  a  washing  stone,  we  entered  a 
glen  or  small  valley  of  good  pasturage. 

Here  there  comes  in  another  road,  that  from  Santa 
Monica,  and  the  River  San  Xavier  crosses  at  right  angles  the 
Sierra  of  the  Venado  Alazan,  that  we  had  descended  to-day, 
and  is  by  one  half  shorter  than  the  one  we  have  taken.  We 
descended  by  the  canon  a  little  more  than  half  a  league  to  the 
northwest,  and  turned  to  the  west-northwest  another  half  a 
league,  ascending  and  descending  a  mountain  somewhat  steep 
but  without  stones,  crossed  a  small  river  of  cool  water,  and 
halted  on  its  bank,  naming  it  and  the  little  valley  of  good 
pasturage  that  is  here,  Santa  Rosalia.  Tonight  and  the  night 
before  we  felt  very  cold. 

Today,  six  leagues  (two  hundred  and  one  from  Santa, 
Fe). 

5th  day  of  September.  We  left  Santa  Rosalia  in  a  north- 
west direction  and  ascended  a  hill  free  from  troublesome, 
stones,  but  very  steep,  and  near  the  summit  very  dangerous, 
because  there  are  turns  in  the  road  that  are  not  more  than  a 
third  of  a  yard  wide ;  the  top  is  covered  with  soft,  loose  earth, 
so  that  it  is  very  easy  for  the  animals  to  slip,  and  if  once 
they  lost  their  footing  it  would  not  be  possible  to  regain  it 
until  they  reached  the  plain  below.  The  ascent  is  more  than 
a  quarter  of  a  league,  of  which  we  walked  the  half.  We 
descended  to  a  long  glen  that  in  parts  produces  only  small 


158  THE   CATHOLIC   CHURCH   IN   UTAH 

oak  and  cherries,  and  in  other  parts  spruce  and  white  poplar, 
and,  going  a  little  more  than  fonr  leagues  to  the  northwest, 
we  came  to  a  little  mountain  covered  with  juniper  trees, 
crossed  it,  and  came  to  a  plain  of  good  pasture  in  a  small 
grove  on  the  northern  bank  of  the  river.  On  this  bank  there 
is  a  range  of  high  mountains,  and  half-way  up  to  the  summit 
they  are  of  yellow,  white  and  red  earths  mixed,  and  from 
there  to  the  extreme  summit  the  earth  is  white.  This  river 
is  larger  than  that  of  the  north,  and,  as  they  told  us,  it  rises 
in  a  large  lake  that  is  in  a  range  near  (towards  the  north- 
east) to  the  Grulla  range.  Its  course  from  here  is  to  the 
west-southwest,  and  it  empties  into  the  Dolores  river.  In 
its  wide  part  it  divides  into  two  branches,  and  here  the  water 
came  up  to  the  breasts  of  the  animals.  Some  that  crossed 
higher  up  had  to  swim  in  places.  The  river  was,  as  far  as 
we  could  see,  very  stony,  so  that  in  the  event  of  a  large  com- 
pany having  to  cross  it,  it  would  be  better  to  ford  it  first  on 
good  horses. 

Today,  five  leagues. 

Tonight  we  observed  the  latitude,  and  found  ourselves  in 
41  degrees  4  minutes,  and  judging  that  we  had  not  ascended 
so  high  since  leaving  Santa  Monica,  and  fearing  we  had  made 
some  mistake  in  the  observation,  we  determined  to  make  it  by 
the  sun  on  the  following  day,  stopping  at  a  convenient  hour, 
where  the  Sabuaganas  would  not  annoy  us. 

6th  day  of  September.  We  left  the  plain  and  the  river  of 
San  Eafael  (where  there  is  nothing  suitable  for  a  settle- 
ment), going  west;  we  went  down  the  river  half  a  league, 
another  half  by  some  canons  to  the  west-northwest,  leaving 
the  river  to  the  south ;  to  the  northwest  a  quarter  of  a  league, 
and  over  broken  ground  without  stone  for  a  league  and  a 
quarter  to  the  west,  and  a  quarter  to  the  west-northwest, 
where  we  traveled  nearly  a  mile,  and  nearly  two  leagues  far- 
ther to  the  west,  over  broken,  stony  ground,  with  much  small 
walnut,  we  descended  to  a  little  valley  where  flowed  a  small 
river  of  good  water.    We  halted  on  its  bank  near  the  only 


THE   CATHOLIC    CHURCH   IN   UTAH  159 

poplar  tree  that  there  was,  while  some  of  our  companions 
went  on  with  the  loaded  and  unloaded  animals.  We  took 
observations,  and  found  we  were  in  41  degrees  6  minutes  53 
seconds  latitude,  and  in  the  observation  of  the  night  before 
there  was  no  mistake.  We  overtook  the  rest,  who  were  de- 
tained and  were  quarreling  with  the  guide,  and  traveled  two 
leagues  to  the  northwest ;  by  leaving  the  road  that  led  up  the 
river  to  the  west,  and  as  it  seemed  straighter,  he  took  us  by 
another  road  that,  entering  a  canon,  went  directly  north,  tell- 
ing us  that  although  that  road  went  through  the  canon  to  the 
north,  we  would  soon  turn  to  the  west.  Our  companions 
acquainted  with  the  Yuta  language  tried  to  convince  us  that 
the  guide,  Silvestre,  had  taken  us  by  that  road,  in  order  to 
confuse  us  by  turns  that  would  not  take  us  forward,  or  to 
lead  us  into  some  ambuscade  of  Sabuaganas  waiting  for  us. 

In  order  to  make  us  more  suspicious  of  the  guide,  they 
assured  us  of  their  having  heard  many  of  the  Sabuaganas  in 
the  village  tell  him  to  take  us  by  the  road  that  did  not  go  by 
the  lake,  and  that  after  going  eight  or  ten  days  in  useless 
turnings  we  would  have  to  turn  back.  Although  it  was  not 
altogether  unlikely  that  some  had  said  this,  we  did  not  be- 
lieve that  the  guide  would  consent  to  it.  Even  though  they 
had  really  succeeded  in  their  design,  none  of  our  companions 
had  ever  told  us  anything  like  it,  and  they  would  have  done 
so,  because  in  the  valley  the  people  had  not  ceased  to  enlarge 
upon  other  obstacles  which  were  less  to  be  feared,  and  which, 
in  any  evil  that  might  occur,  they  risked  as  much  as  we. 

We  well  knew  that  going  to  the  north  it  would  be  more 
roundabout;  but  Silvestre  told  us  that  he  took  us  by  that 
road  because  in  the  other  there  was  a  high,  dangerous  moun- 
tain, so  we  wished  to  follow  his  advice ;  but  all  the  company, 
except  Don  Juan  Lain,  urged  us  to  go  the  other  road,  some 
because  they  feared  unnecessarily  the  Comanches,  and  others 
because  in  taking  that  direction  their  personal  inclinations  did 
not  in  the  least  correspond  with  ours.  At  this  time  there 
arrived  a  Yuta-Sabuaguana  of  the  most  northern  tribe,  and 
told  us  that  the  road  to  the  north  went  very  high  up.    So  that 


160  THE   CATHOLIC   CHURCH   1ST   UTAH 

we  had  to  follow  the  west.  Going  two  leagues  to  the  west, 
and  crossing  another  small  river,  we  halted  on  its  bank, 
naming  the  stopping  place  La  Contraguia. 

Today,  seven  leagues. 

There  were  three  villages  of  Sabuaganas  here,  from  which 
there  came  six  men,  and  among  them  one  who  had  just 
come  from  the  Comanches-Yamparicas,  where  he  had  gone 
with  four  others  to  steal  horses.  He  said  that  the  Comanches 
had  all  gone  away.  These  men  left  us  and  went  by  the  River 
Napeste,  or  to  the  east,  and  we  traveled  on  with  our  com- 
panions.   These  Sabuaganas  were  the  last  we  saw. 

7th  day  of  September.  We  left  the  Contraguia  by  a 
mountain  pass,  in  which  we  went  a  league  to  the  west,  and 
found  a  field  of  good  pasture.  We  went  down  by  the  same 
pass  to  the  northwest,  and  having  journeyed  three  leagues, 
we  stopped  a  while  for  the  animals  to  drink,  because  we  did 
not  know  if  we  would  find  more  water  tonight;  afterwards 
we  went  in  the  same  direction  a  little  more  than  a  quarter  of 
a  league  to  the  north-northeast,  ascending  a  very  difficult 
hill,  thinking  we  would  never  reach  the  top;  for,  besides  be- 
ing very  rocky,  in  parts  there  was  no  path,  and  in  some  parts 
the  ground  was  so  loose  that  the  animals  could  find  no  sure 
place  for  their  feet.  The  ascent  was  for  half  a  league,  and 
at  the  top  there  were  flat,  thin  stones,  on  which  two  loaded 
mules  lost  their  footing  and  rolled  down  hill  more  than 
twenty  yards. 

It  pleased  God  that  none  of  them  were  wounded,  and  those 
that  came  after  were  unhurt.  We  climbed  up  afoot,  and  suf- 
fered much  fatigue  and  much  fright;  so  that  we  named  the 
mountain  La  del  Susto  (The  Fright).  On  the  mountain  the 
guide  gave  us  an  undoubted  proof  of  his  sincerity  and  inno- 
cence; from  the  summit  we  traveled  half  a  league  to  the 
north-northwest,  descending  into  a  short  pass,  where  we 
halted  at  a  pool  of  good  but  scanty  water,  naming  the  place 
La  Natividad  de  Nuestra  Sefiora  (the  Nativity  of  Our  Lady), 
in  which  we  had  fairly  good  pasture  for  the  animals. 

Today,  a  little  more  than  five  and  a  quarter  leagues. 


THE   CATHOLIC   CHUKCH  IN  UTAH  161 

8th  day  of  September.  We  left  the  Natividad  de  Nuestra 
Senora  going  north,  and  proceeding  half  a  league  we  came 
to  a  river  of  good,  living  water,  and  going  up  a  rocky  slope 
free  from  stones  we  took  a  road  over  better  ground  than  yes- 
terday, and  went  two  leagues  and  a  half  to  the  northwest 
over  an  extended  plain  of  rising  ground,  and  through  some 
forests  of  poplar,  arriving  at  a  high  ridge,  from  which  the 
guide,  Silvestre,  showed  us  the  mountains,  on  the  northern 
slope  of  which  lived  the  Comanches-Yamparicas,  that  we  saw 
to  the  north  of  the  Sabuaganas,  and  on  a  point  of  the  same 
mountain  to  the  west,  he  showed  us,  were  his  people.  We  de- 
scended from  the  summit  of  the  mountain  by  a  very  high  and 
rocky  path,  but  without  stones,  and  with  thickets  of  small 
oak  and  cherry,  that  served  to  check  the  animals,  so  that  they 
did  not  slip  or  fall.  We  entered  into  a  wide  canon  and  on  a 
good  road,  and  having  gone  in  the  descent  of  the  mountain  a 
league  to  the  north-northwest,  we  descended  by  the  same  to 
the  north  a  league  and  a  half,  and  stopped  for  the  animals 
to  drink,  because  a  large  stream  of  water  flows  through  the 
canon  from  here  down. 

In  the  afternoon  we  continued  through  the  canon  down 
stream,  and  going  a  league  to  the  west-northwest,  we  stoppd 
in  a  field  of  good  pasturage,  but  without  water,  because  here 
there  is  no  stream.    We  called  it  Santa  Delfina. 

Today,  five  leagues. 

9th  day  of  September.  We  left  the  place  of  Santa  Delfina 
by  the  same  canon,  and  went  half  a  league  to  the  northwest, 
going  down  to  the  north-northwest.  Passing  through  the 
canon  for  nine  leagues  in  this  direction  by  a  well-beaten  path 
and  with  only  one  bad  spot,  we  crossed  the  stream.  Going 
through  a  forest  of  high  reeds,  or  cane,  that  is  called  latilla, 
we  came  out  of  the  canon.  In  the  middle  of  this  canon,  to- 
ward the  south,  there  is  a  very  high  rock  on  which  we  saw, 
rudely  painted,  three  shields  and  a  lance,  or  spear.  Farther 
down  on  the  north  side  we  saw  another  painting  which  some- 
what resembled  two  men  fighting,  and  we  called  it  the  Canon 
Pintado  (Painted  Canon).    It  is  the  only  way  to  go  from  the 


162  THE   CATHOLIC   CHURCH  IN  UTAH 

summit  down  to  the  river,  the  rest  of  the  way  being  very 
broken  and  stony.  On  this  same  side  of  the  canon,  near  to 
the  exit,  we  found  a  vein  of  metal,  but  we  were  ignorant  of 
the  kind  and  quality.  One  of  the  company  selected  a  piece, 
uncovered  from  the  vein,  and  showed  it  to  us,  and  Don 
Bernardo  Miera  thought  it  to  be  what  the  miners  call 
tepustete*,  and  that  it  was  an  indication  of  the  presence  of 
gold.  We  cannot  say  definitely,  nor  will  we,  as  we  have  not 
had  experience  in  mines,  and  as  a  more  careful  examination 
would  be  necessary,  for  which  we  cannot  now  spare  the  time. 
Passing  the  canon  we  traveled  half  a  league  to  the  north- 
northwest,  arriving  at  a  river  that  we  named  San  Clemente, 
crossing  it  and  halting  on  its  northern  bank,  where  there  was 
a  small  plain  of  good  pasturage.  This  river  is  of  medium 
size,  flowing  to  the  west,  and  the  country  adjoining  it  is  not 
good  for  a  settlement. 

Today,  ten  leagues. 

10th  day  of  September.  As,  according  to  the  interpreter,  the 
guide  was  certain  that  the  next  watering  place  was  very  far, 
and  even  though  we  should  leave  early  we  could  not  reach  it 
during  the  day,  we  decided  to  divide  our  journey,  and  so, 
after  the  middle  of  the  day,  we  left  the  San  Clemente  river 
in  a  northwest  direction,  over  rising  ground,  without  stones, 
and  across  small  plains  without  grass  or  trees,  and  over  very 
soft  ground,  and  continued  one  league,  dropping  to  the  west- 
northwest  across  land  almost  level,  but  full  of  dry  streams 
and  gullies  for  two  leagues.  As  it  was  now  night,  and  as  in 
the  dark  the  going  would  be  uncertain  and  dangerous,  we 
stopped  in  the  bed  of  a  stream  which  we  called  El  Barranco. 
There  was  neither  water  nor  grass  in  it,  making  it  necessary 
to  watch  the  animals,  and  keep  them  corraled  all  night. 
From  the  river  here  we  went  in  a  straight  line  without  path, 


*Tepustete  is  derived  from  the  Nahautl  word  tepustetl,  meaning  metal- 
stone,  and  is  not  found  in  Spanish  dictionaries.  It  is  an  iron  pyrite,  or  in 
some  instances  an  arsenical  pyrite,  commonly  known  among  miners  by  its 
Cornish  name  "mundic,"  and  when  showing  on  the  surface  of  the  ground  is 
popularly  supposed  to  form  the  capping  of  the  vein  which  will  lie  beneath. 


THE   CATHOLIC    CHURCH   IN   UTAH  163 

because  although  there  are  several,  they  are  paths  made  by 
the  herds  of  buffalo s  that  come  down  and  winter  in  these 
parts. 

Today,  three  leagues. 

11th  day  of  September.  As  soon  as  we  could  see  well  we 
left  the  Barranco,  in  a  west-northwest  direction,  and  trav- 
eled a  league  and  a  half  through  streams  and  gulches,  but 
somewhat  more  elevated  than  those  of  yesterday,  and  in  one 
of  them  we  came  to  a  small  pool  of  water  in  which  the  ani- 
mals could  drink.  We  continued  one  league  to  the  west- 
northwest  and  climbed  an  elevation  not  very  high,  from 
which  we  went  three  leagues  over  good  land  with  fair  pas- 
turage. Perceiving  at  some  distance  a  grove,  we  asked  Sil- 
vestre  if  that  was  not  the  large  stream  to  which  he  was  taking 
us,  and  he  said  no;  that  it  was  a  small  stream  and  not  a  river, 
but  that  now  we  could  get  water.  We  went  toward  it  and 
found  sufficient  water  for  ourselves  and  for  the  animals,  that 
were  now  very  tired,  thirsty  and  hungry,  and  one  of  the 
mules  was  so  tired  that  it  was  necessary  to  take  off  his  load 
so  that  he  could  get  to  the  water.  We  turned  half  a  league 
to  the  north. 

Today,  six  leagues. 

At  a  short  distance  from  the  gully  we  saw  recent  tracks 
of  buffalo,  and  in  the  plain  they  were  fresher,  and  went  the 
direction  we  were  going.  We  had  now  but  a  small  supply  of 
provisions  for  the  distance  we  had  to  travel,  because  of  the 
quantity  we  had  given  to  the  Sabuaganas  and  the  other 
Yutas ;  and  so  a  little  before  we  arrived  at  the  stream  two  of 
our  companions  left,  following  the  tracks  we  had  seen,  and  a 
little  after  midday  returned,  saying  they  had  seen  a  buffalo. 
We  sent  others  on  the  swiftest  horses,  and  after  going  about 
three  leagues  they  killed  it,  and  returned  with  a  large  portion 
of  meat  (much  more  than  a  common  large  bull  has) ;  it  was 
half -past  seven  at  night.  We  disposed  of  it,  so  that  the  heat 
would  not  spoil  it;  and  at  the  same  time,  that  the  horses 
might  rest,  we  did  not  travel  on  the  12th  from  this  stopping 


164  THE  CATHOLIC   CHURCH  IN  UTAH 

place,  which  we  named  the  Arroya  del  Cibolo  (Buffalo 
Creek) .    Tonight  it  rained  for  several  hours. 

13th  day  of  September.  About  eleven  o  'clock  in  the  morn- 
ing we  left  the  Arroyo  del  Cibolo  over  a  plain  that  is  at  the 
foot  of  a  small  range  which  the  Yutas  and  the  Lagunas  call 
Sabuagari;  it  extends  from  east  to  west,  and  one  sees  its 
white  rocks  from  the  high,  rising  plain  that  is  in  front  of  the 
Canon  Pintado.  Going  three  leagues  and  three-quarters  to 
the  west,  we  arrived  at  a  flow  of  water  known  to  the  guide, 
which  is  at  the  foot  of  the  mountain  almost  at  its  western 
point;  we  continued  in  the  same  direction  a  quarter  of  a 
league,  by  a  well-beaten  path  near  to  which,  towards  the 
south,  rise  two  full  springs  of  fine  water,  within  a  gunshot 
of  each  other,  that  we  named  the  Fuentes  de  Santa  Clara 
(the  Fountains  of  Saint  Clara).  On  account  of  the  moisture 
they  communicate  to  the  small  plain  which  they  water  and 
which  absorbs  them  this  land  produces  good  and  abundant 
pasturage.  From  here  we  traveled  a  league  to  the  north- 
west, by  the  same  trail,  and  crossed  a  stream  that  comes 
from  the  plain  of  the  Fuentes,  and  in  which  are  large  tanks 
of  water.  From  here,  and  on  down,  there  is  in  its  valley, 
which  is  broad  and  level,  good  and  abundant  pasturage.  We 
crossed  it  again ;  we  climbed  several  hills  covered  with  small 
stones,  and  having  journeyed  two  leagues  to  the  northwest, 
we  arrived  at  a  large  river,  which  we  called  the  San  Buena- 
ventura. 

To-day,  six  leagues. 

This  river  of  San  Buenaventura  is  the  largest  that  we  have 
crossed,  and  is  the  same  one  that  Fray  Alonso  de  Posada 
says,  in  his  report,  separates  the  Yuta  nation  from  the  Co- 
manche, if  we  may  judge  by  the  description  he  gives  of  it, 
and  the  distance  he  says  it  is  from  Santa  Fe.  And  it  is  cer- 
tainly true  that  on  the  northeast  and  north  it  is  the  boundary 
line  between  these  two  peoples.  Its  course  from  this  point  is 
west-southwest;  from  the  region  above  this  point  to  where 
we  now  are  its  course  is  to  the  west.  It  forms  a  junction  with 
the  river  of  San  Clemente;  but  we  do  not  know  if  it  does  so 


THE   CATHOLIC   CHURCH  IN  UTAH  165 

with  other  rivers  previously  mentioned.  There  is  here  a  fine 
plain  abounding  in  pasturage  and  fertile,  arable  land,  pro- 
vided it  were  irrigated,  which  might  be,  perhaps,  a  little  more 
than  a  league  in  width,  and  some  four  or  five  leagues  in 
length,  entering  in  between  two  mountains;  the  space  taking 
the  form  of  a  corral,  and  the  mountains  coming  so  close  to- 
gether that  one  can  hardly  distinguish  the  opening  through 
which  the  river  flows.  The  river  can  be  crossed  only  at  the 
one  fording  place,  which  our  guide  assured  us  was  in  this 
neighborhood,  to  the  west  of  the  mountain  that  stood  farth- 
est to  the  north,  close  to  a  range  of  hills  composed  of  loose 
earth  of  a  leaden  color,  and,  in  places,  of  a  yellowish  tinge. 
The  bottom  is  full  of  small  stones,  and  the  river  so  deep  that 
the  mules  could  not  cross  it  except  by  swimming.  We  stopped 
on  its  southern  bank  about  a  mile  from  the  ford.  We  called 
the  stopping  place  the  Vega  de  Santa  Cruz  (the  Plain  of  the 
Holy  Cross).  We  took  observations  by  the  polar  star,  and 
found  ourselves  in  41  degrees  19  minutes  latitude. 

14th  day  of  September.  We  did  not  travel  today,  remain- 
ing here  so  that  the  animals,  which  seemed  tired,  could  rest ; 
before  midday  we  used  the  quadrant  to  confirm  our  observa- 
tion by  the  sun,  and  found  ourselves  in  40  degrees  59  min- 
utes and  24  seconds.  Judging  that  the  discrepancy  might  be 
caused  by  some  variation  in  the  needle,  in  order  to  find  out 
we  secured  the  quadrant  to  observe  the  north  star,  which 
remains  on  the  meridian  of  the  compass  at  night.  So  soon 
as  the  north  star  was  visible,  the  quadrant  being  on  the 
meridian,  we  observed  that  the  needle  turned  to  the  north- 
east. We  again  made  the  observation  of  the  latitude  by  the 
north  star,  and  found  the  same,  41  degrees  19  minutes,  as  on 
the  preceding  night. 

In  this  place  are  six  large  black  poplars,  that  have  grown 
together  in  pairs,  close  to  the  river;  not  far  from  them  one 
stands  alone,  and  on  this  lone  one  and  on  the  northwest  side 
of  its  trunk  Don  Joaquin  Lain  engraved,  with  a  chisel,  this 
inscription:    "Year  1776."    And  lower  down,  in  a  different 


166  THE   CATHOLIC   CHURCH   IN   UTAH 

letter,  "Lain,"  with  two  crosses,  the  larger  one  above  the 
inscription  and  the  smaller  one  below. 

Here  we  obtained  another  buffalo,  smaller  than  the  first, 
though  we  took  but  little  meat,  finding  ourselves  very  far 
from  camp,  and  it  was  getting  late.  It  also  happened  this 
morning  that  the  Laguna,  Joaquin,  from  mischief,  mounted  a 
very  vicious  horse,  which  fell,  throwing  the  fellow  some  dis- 
tance. -  We  were  much  frightened,  thinking  that  the  fall  had 
injured  the  Laguna,  who,  recovering  from  his  fright,  began 
to  shed  tears  and  cry  aloud;  but  God  permitted  that  the 
horse  received  all  the  wounds,  injuring  his  neck,  and  so  being 
useless. 

15th  day  of  September.  We  made  no  progress  to-day,  be- 
cause of  the  reason  we  have  mentioned. 

16th  day  of  September.  Leaving  the  plain  of  Santa  Cruz, 
(on  the  river  of  Buenaventura),  we  went  up  the  river  about 
a  mile  to  the  north,  reached  the  ford,  and  crossed  the  river; 
we  turned  to  the  west  and  went  a  league  along  the  northern 
bank  and  plain  of  the  river,  crossing  another  smaller  one 
that  flowed  down  from  the  northwest,  and  entered  into  this 
one  from  the  same  plain.  We  turned  to  the  south-southwest 
one  league,  and  crossed  another  small  river,  but  a  little  larger 
than  the  first  one,  that  flowed  down  from  the  same  northwest 
direction,  and  entered  into  the  river. 

From  both  of  these  rivers  the  land  on  the  banks  could  be 
irrigated,  making  them  very  good  for  planting,  but  water 
could  not  be  carried  from  the  larger  river.  We  proceeded  to 
the  southwest,  leaving  the  river  that  ran  to  the  south,  over 
broken  table-lands,  and  in  places  full  of  small  stones;  we 
descended  to  a  dry  stream,  from  a  high,  rocky  hill,  whose 
ascent  on  the  other  side  is  not  so  bad.  As  soon  as  we 
ascended  we  found  tracks  one  or  two  days  old  as  if  made  by 
twelve  horses  and  men  on  foot.  Examining  the  tracks  closely 
they  seemed  to  show  that  for  some  time  the  men  had  been 
hiding  in  the  highest  part  of  the  mountain.  We  suspected 
that  they  were  some  Sabuaganas  who  had  followed  us,  think- 
ing to  steal  our  animals  in  this  stopping  place,  performing 
an  act  very  similar  to  what  we  had  attributed  to  the  Co- 


THE   CATHOLIC    CHURCH   IN   UTAH  167 

manches,  or  rather,  to  the  Yutas.  More  than  that,  the  guide, 
Silvestre,  gave  us  additional  foundation  for  our  suspicion, 
for  the  night  before  he  separated  himself  a  short  distance 
from  the  camp  to  sleep,  as  if  by  accident.  During  our  whole 
march  he  had  not  used  the  blanket  that  we  had  given  him,  and 
today  he  left  the  camp  with  it  on,  not  removing  it  all  day,  and 
we  suspected  that  he  put  it  on  so  as  to  be  recognized  by  the 
Sabuaganas  in  case  he  should  leave  us.  Our  suspicions  were 
further  aroused  by  his  pausing  for  a  time,  as  if  thinking  and 
acting  confused,  when  we  reached  the  hill  where  we  had  found 
the  tracks,  wishing  to  proceed  by  the  river,  and  now  by  this 
road.  He  gave  us  no  open  reason  whatever  for  our  suspi- 
cions, entirely  concealing  his  real  intentions,  and  in  the  prog- 
ress of  our  travels  he  gave  us  ample  proofs  of  his  innocence. 
We  took  the  same  direction  as  the  tracks  and  descended  again 
to  the  river  of  San  Buenaventura,  where  we  saw,  in  the 
leafy  grove  and  on  the  plain,  that  those  who  made  the  tracks 
had  been  but  a  short  time  before  us.  We  proceeded  along  the 
plain  across  low  ground  and  halted  on  another  plain  with 
good  pasturage,  by  the  bank  of  the  river,  naming  the  halting 
place  Las  Llagas  de  San  Francisco  (the  Wounds  of  Saint 
Francis) ;  and,  having  crossed  the  hills,  rough  ground, 
mountains  and  the  plains  already  spoken  of, we  had  journeyed 
six  leagues  to  the  southwest ;  in  all  the  distance  eight  leagues. 
As  soon  as  we  stopped,  two  of  our  companions  went  over  the 
tracks  to  the  southwest,  to  explore  the  immediate  country,, 
and  they  concluded  that  the  tracks  were  made  by  the  Co- 
manche s. 

17th  day  of  September.  We  left  the  plain  of  Las  Llagas 
de  N.  P.  San  Francisco,  going  southwest,  ascending  some  low 
hills,  a  league  farther  on,  we  left  the  road  we  were  going, 
which  followed  the  tracks  of  the  men  and  horses.  Silvestre 
told  us  they  were  Comanches  that  were  pursuing  the  Yutas, 
who  probably  had  been  out  hunting  buffalos.  He  convinced 
us  of  this  as  much  by  the  direction  in  which  they  went  as  by 
other  signs  that  they  left.  We  crossed  a  dry  stream,  ascended 
a  low  hill,  and  proceeded  a  league  and  a  half  to  the  west,  over 


168  THE   CATHOLIC   CHURCH  IN   UTAH 

good  ground,  somewhat  arid,  and  came  to  a  high  mountain 
summit,  from  which  the  guide  showed  us  the  junction  of  two 
rivers,  the  San  Clemente  and  the  San  Buenaventura,  that 
from  here  join  on  the  south.  We  descended  to  a  large  plain 
bordering  another  river  and  went  a  league  and  a  half  to  the 
west,  reaching  the  junction  of  the  two  rivers  that  flow  from 
the  mountain  which  is  near  here,  and  to  the  north  of  the  river 
of  San  Buenaventura  and  flow  together  to  the  east,  until  they 
join  with  the  river  of  San  BuenaveDtura.  The  more  eastern 
river  before  its  junction  flows  to  the  southeast,  and  we  named 
it  the  San  Damian ;  the  other  flows  east,  and  we  named  it  the 
San  Cosme.  We  went  west  by  this  latter  one,  and  traveled  a 
league  to  the  west,  finding  near  the  river  the  ruins  of  an  an- 
cient village,  in  which  were  remnants  of  straw  mats,  jugs  and 
pitchers  made  of  clay;  the  form  of  the  village  was  round,  as 
shown  by  the  ruins,  and  almost  entirely  surrounded  by  an 
embankment.  Going  to  the  southwest  by  a  plain  that  is  be- 
tween the  two  rivers,  we  ascended  some  small  hills  of  loose 
stones,  very  bad  for  the  animals  which  were  already  injured. 
We  descended  to  another  plain  of  the  river  San  Cosme,  and 
having  gone  half  a  league  to  the  southwest  and  a  league  and 
a  half  by  this  plain,  we  halted  in  it  and  called  it  La  Ribera  de 
San  Cosme  (the  Bank  of  St.  Cosmas). 

Today,  eight  leagues. 

Shortly  after  having  stopped,  at  the  foot  of  the  moun- 
tain, we  saw  smoke,  and  asking  the  guide  whom  he  thought 
had  caused  it,  he  replied  that  probably  some  Comanches,  or 
some  of  the  Lagunas,  who  had  camped  here  while  hunting. 

18th  day  of  September. 

We  left  the  Ribera  de  San  Cosme,  and  the  guide,  wishing 
to  cross  to  the  other  side  of  the  river,  and  go  along  it,  led 
us  through  a  forest  or  bramble  of  cistus  almost  impenetrable, 
and  into  a  large  marshy  place  till  at  last  we  were  compelled 
to  return,  and  cross  the  river  three  times,  causing  us  many 
useless  turns;  then  over  a  nearby  hill  and  its  plain  we  went 
three  leagues  to  the  southwest;  going  down  to  the  west- 
southwest  a  league,  we  crossed  the  river  the  fifth  time  and 


THE   CATHOLIC   CHURCH  IN  UTAH  169 

now  proceeded  over  the  plain,  where  we  traveled  three 
leagues  and  a  quarter,  ascending  a  high  table-land,  at  the 
top  very  stony,  and  traveled  three-quarters  of  a  league,  in- 
cluding the  going  up  and  coming  down;  crossing  another 
small  river  that  flows  by  here  and  enters  into  the  San  Cosme, 
we  named  it  the  Santa  Catarina  de  Sena,  ana  camped  on  its 
bank.  To-day,  nine  leagues.  From  the  village  of  the  Sabua- 
ganas  and  the  camp  of  San  Antonia  Martir  to  this  point  we 
counted  eighty-eight  leagues,  and  from  Santa  Fe  two  hun- 
dred and  eighty-seven. 

Along  the  three  rivers  which  we  have  crossed  to-day  the- 
ground,  with  intelligent  cultivation  and  irrigation,  having 
beautiful  groves,  good  pasturage  and  timber  and  woodland 
not  far  away,  could  support  three  good  settlements. 

From  the  country  of  the  Comanches  there  descends  a 
range  of  mountains  very  long  and  high,  extending  northeast 
by  southwest  to  the  land  of  the  Lagunas  for  perhaps  seventy 
leagues,  which  towards  the  north  of  the  river  San  Buenaven- 
tura, at  this  time  of  year,  has  the  highest  tops  and  peaks 
covered  with  snow ;  from  which  we  named  it  Sierra  Blanca  de 
las  Lagunas  (the  White  Range  of  the  Lakes),  which  we 
will  begin  to  ascend  and  cross  to-morrow  where  it  seems  the 
lowest. 

19th  day  of  September. 

We  left  the  River  of  Santa  Catarina  de  Sena,  going  to 
the  northwest  without  a  trail;  we  ascended  a  hill  whose  top 
was  level  and  low,  but  very  stony,  and  went  a  quarter  of  a 
league,  descending  to  the  west.  We  went  down  to  the  bank 
of  the  river  San  Cosme,  and  traveled  on  it  two  leagues  and 
a  quarter,  turning  many  times,  the  ground  being  almost  im- 
passable, sometimes  on  account  of  the  stones,  and  sometimes 
for  the  precipices  that  are  very  steep;  on  one  of  them  one 
of  the  horses  was  injured,  so  that  we  had  to  go  back  a  mile, 
and  go  down  to  the  other  bank  of  the  river;  we  passed  it, 
breaking  through  a  forest  of  cane  and  high  reeds,  and  half  a 
league  to  the  west  we  descended  to  the  northeast,  taking  the 
bed  of  the  stream  for  the  road,  and  now  going  up  the  range, 


170  THE   CATHOLIC   CHURCH   IN    UTAH 

and  then  descending  to  the  river  of  San  Cosme,  we  followed 
the  ravine,  which  we  did  not  know  led  us  to  a  canon  shut  up 
and  very  high  in  every  part,  impassable  except  by  the  bed  of 
the  stream.  In  the  middle  of  the  ravine  there  is  another 
gulch  that  runs  from  north  to  south.  We  continued  going  to 
the  northwest,  and  proceeding  four  leagues,  which  took  us  to 
the  west-northwest  by  its  many  turns,  we  came  out  of  the 
canon,  which  we  called  de  las  Golondrinas  (Canon  of  the 
Swallows),  from  having  found  in  it  many  nests  of  these 
birds,  formed  with  so  much  regularity  that  they  looked  like  a 
little  village;  we  now  went  through  a  stretch  of  burnt  wood- 
land of  good  soil,  and  half  a  league  to  the  west-northwest 
we  descended  to  the  west  and  ascended  again  a  rising  ground 
long  and  hilly,  and  descending  once  more  we  came  to  a  plain 
crossed  a  well-beaten  path  from  north  to  south.  Leaving 
the  plain,  we  descended  into  the  rocky  bed  of  a  stream,  which 
we  called  San  Estaquio,  having  gone  two  leagues  and  a  half 
to  the  west.  This  watering-place  is  perennial  and  full,  and 
in  it  there  is  abundant  grass.  We  arrived  very  tired,  be- 
cause the  road  was  difficult,  and  all  day  a  cold  wind  had  been 
blowing  from  the  west. 

Today,  ten  leagues. 

20th  day  of  September. 

We  left  San  Eustaquio,  and  we  also  lost  here  one  of  our 
strongest  horses  that  had  died,  being  the  one  that  at  Santa 
Cruz  on  the  river  of  San  Buenaventura  had  his  neck  injured. 
We  went  in  a  southwest  direction  over  rising  ground,  de- 
scending to  the  west  a  little  less  than  three  leagues  and  a 
quarter,  over  a  difficult  woodland  covered  with  small  walnut 
trees;  we  entered  a  short  glen,  wide  in  parts,  and  a  quarter 
of  a  league  to  the  south-southwest,  we  turned  to  the  west, 
descending  to  a  small  river  that  flows  to  the  east,  probably 
the  one  that  we  named  the  San  Cosme;  we  crossed  the  river 
to  the  south-southwest,  and  went  up  an  extensive  rising 
ground,  and  going  a  mile  farther  we  dropped  to  the  south- 
west about  two  leagues,  through  a  mountain  pass  very  pleas- 
ant and  with  good  pasturage,  in  which  we  found  a  large  pool 


THE    CATHOLIC    CHURCH   IN   UTAH  171 

of  good  water,  which  we  called  Ojo  de  Santa  Lucia  (the 
Spring  of  Saint  Lucy.)  Tonight  it  was  so  cold  that  the 
water  that  was  near  the  fire  all  night  became  ice  before 
morning. 

Today,  five  leagues. 

21st  day  of  September. 

Going  from  the  spring  of  Saint  Lucy  to  the  southwest, 
through  the  same  pass  that  we  had  just  ascended  and  thence 
through  a  forest  of  poplars  a  quarter  of  a  league  farther,  we 
turned  to  the  west  a  league  and  three  quarters,  over  rough 
timber  lands,  through  mountain  passes  of  soft  earth  with 
many  charcoal  pits,  or  small  holes  hidden  among  a  rank 
growth  of  weeds,  in  which  every  moment  the  animals  sank 
and  fell;  then  we  descended  by  a  small  river  filled  with  fine 
trout,  of  which  the  Laguna  Joaquin  with  an  arrow  killed  and 
caught  two,  each  one  of  which  weighed  more  than  two  pounds. 
This  river  runs  to  the  southeast,  through  a  pleasant  valley 
of  good  pasturage,  many  springs,  and  beautiful  forests  of 
white  poplar,  not  high  nor  large.  It  is  a  good  location  for  a 
village  with  all  that  is  needed.  We  named  it  the  Valle  de  la 
Purisima  (the  Valley  of  the  Most  Pure).  The  guide  Sil- 
vestre  told  us  that  for  some  time  a  large  settlement  of  La- 
gunas  had  lived  here,  who  had  subsisted  mostly  on  the  fish 
from  the  river,  and  that  they  had  left  through  fear  of  the 
Comanches,  who  began  coming  into  this  part  of  the  Sierras. 
We  crossed  the  river  and  ascended  the  rising  plain  of  the 
valley,  and  going  a  league  to  the  south-southwest,  we  de- 
scended to  the  west  through  a  mountain  pass  of  bad  travel- 
ing, and  after  three-quarters  of  a  league,  we  crossed  a  small 
river  of  very  cold  water. 

We  continued  to  the  west  another  quarter  of  a  league, 
and  entered  a  forest  of  white  poplar,  small  oak  and  cherry, 
and  royal  pine,  and  from  this  forest  we  took  the  northern 
ascent  of  a  mountainous  pass,  and  went  a  league  to  the  west 
and  a  quarter  to  the  south,  crossing  over  to  the  other  side. 
The  guide,  wishing  to  travel  faster  than  we  were  able,  went 
so  fast  that  at  every  step  he  was  hidden  from  us  in  the  forest ; 


172  THE   CATHOLIC   CHUKCH   IN  UTAH 

we  could  not  follow  him,  because  aside  from  the  density  of 
the  forest,  there  was  no  path,  and  we  could  not  find  his  trail. 
We  continued  through  the  forest,  and  the  farther  we  went 
the  more  dense  it  became,  until  after  going  half  a  league  to 
the  west,  we  came  out  of  it  upon  a  small  high  hill,  from  which 
the  guide  showed  us  the  side  on  which  was  the  lake ;  and  to 
the  south-east  of  this  another  part  of  the  Sierra  in  which  he 
lived,  he  told  us,  and  also  a  great  many  people  speaking  the 
same  language  and  of  the  same  great  tribe  as  the  Lagunas. 

From  this  hill  we  went  to  the  southwest  a  quarter  of  a 
league  and  went  down  it  to  the  west,  breaking  through  brush- 
wood of  cherry  and  small  oak,  almost  impenetrable  till  we 
came  to  another  forest,  through  which  we  thought  the  packs 
could  not  pass  without  unloading  the  animals.  In  this  forest 
the  guide  continued  to  annoy  us  by  his  fast  going,  so  that  we 
were  obliged  to  stop  him  and  not  permit  him  to  go  on  alone. 
In  this  thicket  Father  Atanasio  received  a  severe  blow 
on  the  knee.  Finally  we  descended  to  a  deep  and  narrow 
opening  between  the  mountains,  with  much  trouble  and  diffi- 
culty, and  finding  there  abundant  pasturage,  more  than  in 
any  other  part  of  the  range,  and  water  for  ourselves  and  the 
animals,  we  stopped  after  having  gone  a  league  to  the  west, 
naming  the  place  San  Mateo  (Saint  Matthew). 

Today,  six  leagues  and  a  half. 

This  is  the  coldest  night  we  have  had. 

22d  day  of  September. 

Going  southeast  we  left  San  Mateo  by  the  northern  in- 
cline of  the  pass,  in  which  there  were  many  narrow  defiles 
and  many  slippery  and  dangerous  places,  without  any  road 
except  the  one  we  were  breaking,  and  over  the  rocks  and 
crags  of  the  Sierra.  At  every  step  here  we  were  obliged  to 
change  our  direction  and  make  many  turns,  going  only  five 
leagues,  they  said,  ascending  hills  and  descending  to  the 
plains.  From  the  mountain  we  descended  to  a  short  plain, 
where  two  small  rivers  join  going  to  the  southwest  two 
leagues.  The  animals  were  very  tired,  and  as  there  was 
much  good  pasturage  we  halted,  and  named  the  place  San 


THE   CATHOLIC   CHUECH  IN   UTAH  173 

Lino.  Today,  we  have  gone  six  leagues,  which,  because  of  the 
many  turns  that  we  had  to  make  in  leaving  San  Mateo, 
brought  us  three  leagues  to  the  west-southwest. 

From  the  top  of  the  last  peak  we  could  see  pillars  of 
smoke  rising,  not  very  far  away  and  in  front  of  us.  The 
guide  said  that  they  were  some  of  his  people  who  were  there 
hunting.  We  attempted  to  get  into  communication  with 
them,  to  let  them  know  that  we  were  not  enemies,  so  that 
they  might  not  try  to  get  away  from  us  or  receive  us  with 
arrows;  they  continued  to  raise  more  smoke  in  the  opening 
through  which  we  would  have  to  enter  to  get  to  the  lake,  and 
this  made  us  believe  that  they  had  already  seen  us ;  for  smoke 
is  the  first  and  most  common  sign  which  in  case  of  surprise, 
all  the  people  in  this  part  of  America  use.  "We  told  Silvestre 
that  during  the  night  he  must  be  very  careful,  for  if  any  of 
them  should  know  of  our  arrival,  they  might  come  near  to 
see  what  kind  of  people  we  were;  and  about  two  o'clock  in  the 
morning,  the  hour  in  which,  according  to  his  idea,  some  of 
them  might  come  near,  he  talked  a  long  time  in  a  loud  voice, 
in  his  own  language,  giving  them  to  understand  that  we  were 
quiet  people  and  good  friends.  We  do  not  know  if  any  one 
heard  him  or  not. 

23d  day  of  September. 

Now  that  we  had  arrived  at  the  lake  (Utah),  in  order  that 
Silvester  and  Joaquin  might  enter  their  country  feeling  affec- 
tion for  us,  we  gave  to  each  of  them  a  yard  of  woolen  cloth 
and  another  of  red  ribbon,  and  they  immediately  put  them 
on.  Silvester  cast  around  his  body  the  blanket  we  had  for- 
merly given  him,  and  then  arranged  in  a  turban  around  his 
head  the  woolen  cloth,  leaving  the  two  ends  hanging  down 
his  shoulders.  When  he  mounted  his  horse  he  reminded  us 
of  the  redeemed  captives  which  the  Eedemptorist  Fathers 
carry  in  their  procession  on  the  feast  day  of  Our  Lady  of 
Mercy ;  and  this  was  a  prophecy  to  us  of  the  freeing  of  these 
people,  whose  liberty  we  desired  and  besought  of  the  Re- 
deemer of  the  world,  through  the  intercession  of  His  Holy 
Mother,  who  in  order  to  encourage  so  praiseworthy  an  object, 


174  THE   CATHOLIC   CHURCH   IN    UTAH 

was  willing  to  accept  the  devotion  the  Church  gave  her  to- 
day. We  left  San  Lino  very  early,  going  southwest.  We 
went  up  a  short  hill,  and  at  the  top  we  came  across  an  im- 
mense ant-hill,  composed  entirely  of  small  pieces  of  alum, 
very  pure  and  crystalline.  We  descended  to  the  small  river 
of  San  Lino,  and  journeying  for  a  league  along  the  level 
pastures  on  its  banks,  without  leaving  the  river,  but  going 
down  stream,  we  turned  towards  the  west.  Here  another 
small  stream  forms  a  junction  with  it,  and  along  the  banks 
of  both  of  them  there  are  fertile  spots  that  would  make  de- 
lightful pastures.  Pursuing  our  way  to  the  west  three-quar- 
ters of  a  league  down  stream,  we  saw  and  passed  by  three 
large  springs  of  hot  water,  of  which  we  tasted,  and  found 
that  it  is  of  the  same  sulphurous  character  as  that  which  is 
in  the  vicinity  of  San  Diego  de  los  Hemes,  in  New  Mexico. 

We  continued  our  way  in  a  westward  direction  some  three- 
quarters  of  a  league.  We  entered  the  narrowest  portion  of 
the  canon  of  the  river,  and  turned  towards  the  north  about  a 
mile.  Here  we  found  three  other  hot  springs,  very  similar  to 
those  just  mentioned,  and  all  of  them  have  their  rise  in  an 
exceedingly  lofty  mountain,  very  close  to  the  river  on  this 
northern  side,  and  they  flow  into  the  river;  for  this  reason 
we  called  it  the  River  of  Aguascalientes  (Hot  Water).  In 
this  narrow  part  of  the  canon  there  are  some  places  very  diffi- 
cult to  pass,  but  they  are  easily  repaired;  we  continued  to 
the  northwest  half  a  league,  crossing  to  the  other  side  of  the 
river;  ascended  a  low  hill  and  beheld  the  lake  and  extended 
valley  of  Nuestra  Sefiora  de  la  Merced  de  los  Timpanogotzis, 
as  we  called  it;  we  also  saw  smoke  arising  from  all  parts, 
the  news  of  our  entrance  having  gone  before  us. 

We  now  descended  to  the  level  at  the  entrance  of  the 
valley,  crossing  to  the  other  side  of  the  river  again,  and  going 
more  than  a  league  by  its  extended  plains  along  the  northern 
bank,  we  crossed  to  the  opposite  bank  and  halted  on  one  of 
its  southern  plains,  which  we  named  Vega  del  Dulcisimo 
Nombre  de  Jesus  (Plain  of  the  Sweet  Name  of  Jesus). 

Today,  five  leagues  and  a  half. 


THE   CATHOLIC    CHURCH   IN   UTAH  175 

We  found  the  grass  of  the  plains  where  we  came  recently 
burned  over  and  others  already  burning,  from  which  we  in- 
ferred that  these  Indians  had  thought  us  to  be  Comanches, 
or  other  enemies ;  and  as  they  had  probably  seen  that  we  were 
bringing  animals,  it  had  been  their  intention  to  destroy  the 
pasturage  along  our  way,  so  that  because  of  the  lack  of  this 
we  would  be  obliged  to  leave  the  valley  sooner.  But  as  it  is 
so  large  and  broad,  we  could  not  do  it  in  so  short  a  time, 
even  though  they  had  put  fires  everywhere.  For  this  reason 
our  small  part  remaining  in  this  location,  as  soon  as  we 
had  halted,  Father  Francisco  Atanasio,  with  the  guide 
Silvestre,  his  companion  Joaquin  and  the  interpreter  Mufiiz, 
left  for  the  first  of  the  settlements,  and  going  as  rapidly  as 
possible,  though  the  horses  were  so  fatigued,  in  order  to 
arrive  this  afternoon,  they  went  six  leagues  and  a  half  to 
the  north-northwest.  They  arrived,  and  were  received  by 
some  of  the  men  with  their  weapons  ready  to  defend  their 
families  and  homes.  But  as  soon  as  Silvestre  had  spoken  to 
them,  they  changed  their  warlike  appearance  to  the  most 
courteous  and  simple  expressions  of  peace  and  affection. 
They  took  them  very  cheerfully  to  their  simple  huts,  and  after 
they  had  embraced  them  in  a  singular  manner,  and  signified 
to  them  that  they  desired  peace,  and  that  they  loved  us  as 
much  as  our  best  friends,  the  Father  gave  them  opportunity, 
so  that  they  could  talk  at  length  with  our  guide  Silvestre,  who 
gave  them  an  account  of  what  he  had  observed  and  seen,  and 
spoke  so  much  in  our  favor,  of  our  design  and  work,  that  we 
could  not  have  wished  for  anything  better. 

He  told  them  at  length  of  how  well  we  had  treated  him, 
and  how  much  he  loved  us,  and  among  other  things  he  told 
them  with  great  satisfaction  that  the  Lagunas  had  said  that 
the  Comanches  would  kill  us,  and  would  take  from  us  our  ani- 
mals; and  that  we  had  gone  through  the  country  that  they 
frequented  most,  and  even  crossed  their  recent  tracks;  that 
we  had  not  changed  our  course,  nor  had  we  seen  them ;  verify- 
ing what  the  Father  had  said;  that  God  would  free  us  from 
all  our  enemies ;  so  that  even  though  we  passed  through  their 


176  THE   CATHOLIC   CHURCH   IN   UTAH 

country  they  would  not  harm  us,  nor  we  disturb  them.  He 
concluded  by  saying  that  the  Fathers  spoke  only  the  truth, 
that  everybody  could  travel  in  their  company  without  danger, 
and  that  only  the  Spaniards  were  good  people.  He  confirmed 
them  more  in  this  belief  by  their  seeing  that  the  boy  Joaquin 
was  so  careful  of  us  that,  unmindful  of  his  own  people,  he 
would  not  leave  the  Father  except  to  care  for  the  animals 
that  we  brought.  He  hardly  cared  to  talk  to  his  people,  nor 
even  to  mingle  with  them,  but  only  to  remain  near  the  Father, 
sleeping  in  any  vacant  place  near  his  side.  That  was  a  mat- 
ter that  caused  much  surprise  not  only  to  his  own  people,  but 
also  to  us,  that  one  who  was  a  mere  child,  and  an  Indian  who 
had  never  before  seen  either  priest  or  Spaniard,  should  act 
in  this  way. 

After  talking  a  long  time  about  this,  and  many  gathering 
from  the  near  villages,  and  our  giving  them  something  to 
smoke,  the  Father  gave  them  to  understand,  by  means  of  the 
interpreter  and  Silvestre,  that  our  motive  in  coming  to  them 
was  to  bring  them  the  light,  the  principal  motive  being  to 
seek  the  salvation  of  their  souls,  and  to  show  them  the  means 
by  which  they  could  obtain  it.  The  first  and  most  necessary 
being,  to  believe  in  the  only  true  God,  to  love  Him  and  to 
obey  Him  entirely,  doing  all  that  His  holy  and  immaculate 
law  demanded;  and  that  they  would  teach  them  clearly  and 
fully  all  this,  and  that  they  would  give  to  them  the  holy  watet 
of  baptism,  if  they  wished  to  become  Christians;  and  that 
priests  should  come  to  teach  them  and  Spaniards  to  live 
among  them.  And  that  they  would  teach  them  to  plant  and 
sow,  and  to  raise  herds  of  cattle,  so  that  then  they  would  be 
able  to  eat  and  to  dress  like  the  Spaniards,  to  obey  the  law, 
and  to  live  as  God  had  commanded.  The  priests  would  teach 
them,  and  our  Chief  would  send  them  everything  necessary, 
for  He  is  very  great  and  rich  and  we  call  Him  King;  if  they 
wished  to  be  Christians  He  would  take  them  for  His  sons 
and  would  care  for  them  as  His  people. 

He  afterwards  said  to  them,  that  it  was  necessary  for  us 
to  continue  our  journey,  to  learn    about  the    Father,    our 


THE   CATHOLIC    CHUKCH   IN  UTAH  177 

brother,  and  that  we  needed  that  another  one  of  them  should 
guide  us  to  the  other  tribe  that  they  were  acquainted  with, 
that  the  other  guide  might  vouch  for  us.  In  all  of  this  con- 
versation Silvestre  was  a  great  help  to  us.  They  heard  us 
with  pleasure,  and  replied  that  to  all  we  said  they  were  at- 
tentive, thus  manifesting  their  gentleness.  They  had  among 
their  number  two  chiefs,  but  not  the  principal  one  that  com- 
manded this  people,  so  the  Father  begged  that  they  would  call 
him,  and  they  replied  that  his  house  was  very  distant,  but 
that  he  would  come  to-morrow.  They  then  retired  to  their 
wigwams,  but  some  remained  in  conversation  with  Silvestre 
all  night. 

24th  day  of  September. 

We  sent  word  to  the  others  of  our  company  by  Joaquin 
and  the  other  Laguna,  that  they  should  come  from  Dulcisimo 
Nombre  de  Jesus  to  the  village  where  we  were,  where  the 
Indians  of  this  and  the  other  villages  would  gather;  they 
arrived  about  midday.  The  big  chief  with  the  two  others 
came  very  early,  and  many  old  men  and  the  head  men  of  the 
tribe.  We  conversed  with  them  a  long  time  about  the  things 
already  referred  to,  and  all  unanimously  replied  that  the 
Fathers  should  come  and  live  with  the  Tatas  (so  the  religious 
Yutas  are  called),  to  teach  them.  And  they  offered  all  their 
land  so  they  could  build  their  houses  to  suit  themselves ;  add- 
ing that  they  could  go  over  the  land,  and  that  there  would 
always  be  spies  where  the  Comanches  entered  the  land,  so  that 
when  they  should  come  into  the  valley  or  into  other  parts  of 
the  Sierra,  the  Spaniards  would  be  promptly  notified,  and 
they  could  go  out  all  together  to  punish  them. 

Seeing  such  wonderful  gentleness  and  willingness  to  re- 
ceive our  proposals,  we  told  them  that  when  our  journey  was 
finished  we  would  return  with  more  priests  and  more  Span- 
iards to  remember  what  they  had  said,  so  that  afterwards 
they  should  not  repent  of  it.  They  replied  that  they  were  firm 
in  all  they  promised,  begging  us  that  we  would  not  delay 
long  in  coming.     We  said  to  them  that  although  we  all  be- 


178  THE   CATHOLIC   CHURCH   IN   UTAH 

lieved  what  they  said,  we  desired  some  token  from  them  that 
they  wished  to  become  Christians,  to  show  to  our  great  Chief 
and  to  the  rest  of  the  Spaniards,  because  with  such  a  token 
the  Spaniards  would  believe  more  in  their  good  desires,  and 
it  would  encourage  us  to  return  more  promptly.  We  did  this 
in  order  to  better  test  their  good  intentions ;  and  they  replied 
that  they  would  give  us  a  token  very  willingly  to-morrow 
morning. 

We  then  presented  the  Chief  a  knife  and  some  glass 
beads,  and  Don  Bernardo  Miera  gave  him  a  small  hatchet; 
and  for  all  the  rest  of  the  company  we  gave  to  each  a  few 
glass  beads,  for  there  were  many  of  them,  and  they  were  all 
pleased  and  satisfied.  We  then  reminded  them  of  the  prom- 
ise of  the  guide,  and  that  they  promised  that  we  could  take 
Joaquin,  who  wished  to  go  with  us;  they  replied  that  they 
had  talked  about  it,  and  had  decided  that  not  only  Joaquin 
but  also  a  new  guide,  would  go  with  us,  if  we  wished,  even 
to  our  own  country,  and  .could  return  with  us  when  we 
should  return;  adding  that  none  of  them  were  very  well  ac- 
quainted with  the  country  in  the  direction  that  they  knew  we 
had  to  take,  but  that  with  the  two,  Joaquin  and  the  new 
guide,  we  could  go,  asking  our  way  from  the  tribes  along  the 
route. 

This  expression  of  great  sincerity,  so  clear  and  to  the  pur- 
pose, filled  us  with  great  joy,  and  completely  assured  us  that 
without  the  least  deceit,  and  with  perfect  spontaneity  and 
free  will,  moved  by  divine  grace,  they  desired  and  would 
accept  Christianity.  We  put  before  them  the  same  that  we 
had  given  to  Silvestre,  in  order  that  they  might  decide  who 
was  to  go  with  us  as  our  guide,  and  at  once  one  of  those  stand- 
ing near  took  it,  and  now  became  our  guide  and  companion, 
and  we  gave  him  the  name  of  Jose  Maria  (Joseph  Mary).  We 
now  determined  to  proceed  on  our  journey  the  following 
day,  for  the  settlement  and  port  of  Monterey. 

They  told  us  that  there  was  a  sick  child  whom  they  wished 
us  to  see  and  to  baptize.  We  went,  and  found  it  to  be  a 
youth,  and  almost  recovered  from  a  long  sickness,  and  en- 


THE    CATHOLIC    CHURCH   IN   UTAH  179 

tirely  out  of  danger,  so  that  we  did  not  find  it  necessary  to 
give  it  the  water  of  baptism.  The  mother  afterwards  brought 
it  to  where  we  were,  and  begged  us  to  baptize  it,  and  to  com- 
fort her  we  told  her  that  we  would  soon  return,  and  then 
would  baptize  all,  both  large  and  small.  Finally  we  informed 
them  that  we  had  very  little  food,  and  if  it  pleased  them  to 
sell  us  some  dried  fish.  They  brought  it,  and  we  bought  a 
good  amount.  All  day  and  part  of  the  night  they  were  coming 
and  talking  with  us,  and  they  all  seemed  very  simple,  gentle, 
kind  and  affectionate.  Our  Silvestre  was  now  looked  upon 
with  great  respect,  and  gained  some  authority  among  them 
for  having  brought  us  and  being  so  appreciated  by  us. 

25th  day  of  September. 

In  the  morning  they  returned  to  us  bringing  the  token  that 
we  had  asked  of  them  and  explained  its  meaning  to  us.  The 
day  before,  when  we  had  asked  it  of  them,  we  told  the 
interpreter  that  neither  he  nor  the  others  should  say  any- 
thing to  the  Indians  about  this,  so  that  we  could  see  what 
they  would  do  of  themselves.  Showing  them  the  cross  of  the 
rosary,  he  gave  them  to  understand  that  they  should  paint  it 
as  one  of  the  figures.  They  took  it  away,  and  painted  three 
figures  on  three  crosses;  then  they  brought  the  token  to  us, 
saying  that  the  figure  that  had  the  most  red  color,  or  as  they 
said,  blood,  represented  the  big  chief,  because  in  war  with  the 
Comanches  he  had  received  the  most  wounds ;  the  other  that 
had  less  blood,  was  inferior  to  the  first  one ;  and  the  one  that 
had  no  blood  was  not  a  warrior,  but  was  of  authority  among 
them.  These  three  figures  of  men  were  rudely  painted 
with  earth  and  red-ochre,  on  a  small  piece  of  deer  skin; 
we  received  them,  saying  that  the  big  chief  of  the  Span- 
iards would  be  pleased  to  see  it,  and  that  when  we  should 
return  we  would  bring  it  with  us  so  that  they  might  see 
how  much  we  valued  it,  and  that  it  might  remind  them 
of  their  promises,  and  all  that  we  had  done.  We  told  them 
that  if,while  we  were  gone,  they  had  sickness  or  trouble  with 
their  enemies,  they  should  cry  out  to  God  saying :  True  God, 
help  us,  protect  us;  and  as  they  could  not  articulate  these 


180  THE   CATHOLIC   CHURCH  IN   UTAH 

words  very  well,  they  could  simply  say  Jesus,  Mary!  Jesus, 
Mary !  They  began  to  repeat  this  with  facility,  Silvestre  fer- 
vently saying  it  first ;  and  while  we  were  preparing  to  depart, 
they  did  not  cease  to  repeat  these  sacred  names.  They  bade 
us  all  good-by  with  great  affection,  and  Silvestre  especially 
embraced  us,  almost  crying.  They  again  charged  us  not  to  be 
long  in  returning,  saying  that  they  would  expect  us  within 
the  year. 

DESCRIPTION  OF  THE  VALLEY  AND  LAKE  OF  OUR  LADY  OF  MERCY 
OF  THE  TIMPAGTZIS,  OR  TIMPANOGOTZIS,  OR  "FISH  EATERS." 
ALL  THESE  NAMES  THEY  GIVE  TO  THEM. 

North  of  the  river  of  San  Buenaventura,  as  we  have  shown 
before,  there  is  a  range  of  mountains  that,  so  far  as  we  could 
learn,  extends  from  the  northeast  to  the  southwest  more  than 
seventy  leagues,  and  in  width  more  than  forty,  and  where 
we  crossed  it  is  more  than  thirty  leagues.  In  the  western 
part  of  these  mountains,  in  latitude  40°  49',  and  in  a  direction 
a  quarter  northwest  of  north  of  the  town  of  Santa  Fe,  is  the 
"Valley  of  Our  Lady  of  Mercy  of  the  Timpanogotzis,"  sur- 
rounded by  the  peaks  of  the  Sierra;  from  which  flow  four 
rivers  which  flow  through  and  water  it,  until  they  enter  the 
lake  in  the  middle  of  it.  The  plain  of  the  valley  extends  from 
southeast  to  northwest,  sixteen  Spanish  leagues*  (such  as 
are  used  in  this  diary),  and  from  northeast  to  southwest  ten 
or  twelve  leagues ;  it  is  all  clean  land,  and  with  the  exception 
of  the  marshy  places  along  the  shores  of  the  lake,  very  good 
for  planting.  From  the  four  rivers  that  water  it  the  first  flows 
from  the  south,  and  is  the  Aguas  Calientes,  in  whose  broad 
plains  is  sufficient  cultivable  land  for  two  large  villages.  The 
second  following  the  first,  three  leagues  to  the  north,  and 
with  more  water  than  the  first,  could  maintain  one  large  and 
two  small  villages.  This  river,  before  entering  into  the  lake, 
is  divided  into  two  branches,  on  whose  banks  are  poplars  and 
large  aldertrees.  We  named  this  river  the  San  Nicholas. 
Three  leagues  and  a  half  from  this  to  the  northwest  is  a 
river  which  runs  through  large  plains  of  good  land  for  plant- 

*  The  old  Spanish  league  is  equal  to  2.41  U.  S.  miles. 


THE   CATHOLIC   CHURCH  IN   UTAH  181 

ing.  It  has  more  water  than  the  two  preceding  ones;  it  has 
larger  groves  and  plenty  of  good  land  if  irrigated,  for  two 
and  even  three  large  villages.  We  were  near  this  river  the 
24th  and  the  25th,  and  we  named  it  the  Rio  de  San  Antonio  de 
Padua  (Saint  Anthony  of  Padua).  To  the  fourth  river  we 
did  not  go,  although  we  saw  its  groves.  It  is  to  the  north- 
west of  San  Antonio,  and  as  we  saw  it,  has  on  each  side  of  it 
much  level  ground.  They  told  us  that  it  had  as  much  water 
as  the  others,  and  so  I  am  satisfied  we  could  establish  there 
some  ranches  and  towns.  We  named  it  the  river  of  Santa 
Ana. 

Aside  from  these  rivers,  there  are  in  the  plain  many  pools 
of  good  water,  and  several  fountains  which  flow  down  from  the 
mountains.  From  what  we  have  just  said  about  the  settle- 
ments, let  it  be  understood  that  we  wish  to  give  to  each  one 
more  land  than  he  really  needs,  but  if  each  settlement  took 
only  one  league  for  cultivation,  there  would  be  room  in  the 
valley  for  as  many  villages  of  Indians  as  there  are  in  New 
Mexico ;  because,  although  in  the  northerly  direction  we  gave 
to  it  the  above  dimensions  (though  it  has  more),  on  the  south 
it  also  has  large  spaces  of  good  ground.  There  is  everywhere 
good  and  abundant  pasturage,  and  in  some  parts  flax  and 
hemp  grow  in  such  abundance  that  it  seems  to  have  been 
planted. 

The  climate  here  is  good,  and  having  suffered  so  much 
from  cold  since  leaving  the  river  of  San  Buenaventura,  we 
found  this  valley  very  comfortable  both  day  and  night.  Aside 
from  all  these  advantages,  in  the  range  that  surrounds  the 
valley  there  is  plenty  of  wood  and  timber,  plenty  of  shelter, 
water  and  grass,  to  raise  herds  of  cattle  and  horses;  that  is, 
in  the  northern,  northeast,  east  and  southeastern  parts.  In 
the  south  and  southwest  it  has  two  other  extended  valleys, 
also  with  abundant  grass  and  sufficient  water.  To  one  of 
these  extends  the  lake.  It  (the  lake)  is  six  leagues  wide  and 
fifteen  leagues  long;  it  extends  to  the  northwest,  and,  as  we 
are  told,  is  connected  by  a  river  with  a  larger  lake.  This 
lake  of  the  Timpanogotzis  abounds  in  many  kinds  of  good 


182  THE   CATHOLIC    CHURCH   IN   UTAH 

fish,  and  in  geese  and  other  water-fowl  that  we  had  not  time 
to  see. 

The  Indians  of  whom  we  have  spoken,  live  in  the  neigh- 
borhood, and  subsist  upon  the  abundant  fish  of  the  lake,  for 
which  reason  the  Yutas  and  the  Sabueganas  called  them  the 
Fish-eaters.  They  also  gather  seeds  and  herbs,  and  from 
them  make  atole  (a  kind  of  gruel) ;  they  also  hunt  wild  hares, 
rabbits  and  fowls,  which  are  very  abundant  here.  There 
are  also  buffaloes,  not  very  far  away,  to  the  north-northwest, 
but  fear  of  the  Comanches  hinder  these  Indians  from  hunting 
them.  Their  dwelling  places  are  huts  of  cane,  of  which  they 
also  make  curious  baskets  and  other  useful  articles.  They 
are  very  poorly  clothed;  the  most  decent  garment  they  wear 
is  a  jacket  of  buckskin  and  moccasins  and  leggings  of  the 
same.  For  cold  weather  they  have  blankets  made  of  rabbit 
skins:  they  use  the  Yuta  language,  but  with  a  great  many 
changes  and  accents,  and  even  some  foreign  words.  They  are 
good-looking,  and  most  of  them  without  any  beard.  In  all 
parts  of  these  mountains,  south-southwest,  the  west  and  the 
southeast,  there  live  a  great  many  of  the  same  people  as  the 
Lagunas,  with  the  same  language,  and  gentleness,  among 
whom  might  be  formed  a  province  of  many  large  settlements. 
The  names  of  the  chiefs  that  are  in  the  ''token"  spoken  of 
above,  are  in  their  own  language,  the  Big  Chief  being  Turu- 
iiianchi;  the  second,  Cuitzapununchi ;  of  the  third,  which  is 
our  Silvestre,  Panchucumquibiran  (which  means  spokesman), 
who  is  not  a  chief,  but  is  a  brother  of  the  Big  Chief,  Pichu- 
chi. 

The  other  lake  that  joins  this  one,  occupies,  as  we  are  told, 
many  leagues,  and  its  waters  are  very  harmful  and  very 
salty;  the  Timpanois  assured  us  that  anyone  who  moistened 
any  part  of  the  body  with  it  would  at  once  feel  the  part 
bathed  greatly  inflamed.  They  told  us  that  near  the  lake 
there  lived  a  tribe  very  numerous  and  very  quiet,  who  were 
called  Puaguampes,  which  in  our  tongue  means  sorcerers; 
they  speak  the  language  of  the  Comanches ;  they  live  on  herbs, 
and  drink  from  the  many  fountains  that  are  near  the  lake, 


THE   CATHOLIC   CHURCH   IN   UTAH  183 

and  their  houses  are  of  dry  grass  and  earth.  They  are  not 
enemies  of  the  Lagunas,  as  some  have  said,  but  since  a  cer- 
tain occasion  when  they  killed  a  man,  they  have  not  been  so 
neutral  as  before.  On  this  occasion  they  entered  by  the  last 
pass  in  the  Sierra  Blanca  de  los  Timpanosis  by  a  quarter 
north  to  the  northwest,  and  by  this  same  pass  they  say  the 
Comanches  enter,  but  not  very  frequently. 

Los  Timpanogotzis  are  so  called  because  of  the  lake,  on 
which  they  live,  which  is  called  Timpanogo,  the  name  being 
peculiar  to  this  lake  because  the  ordinary  name  which  they 
give  to  any  lake  is  Pagarori.  It  is  six  leagues  wide  and 
fifteen  long,  to  the  narrow  pass  and  drains  into  the  other 
lake. 

26th  day  of  September. 

About  one  o'clock  on  the  afternoon,  we  left  the  settlements 
we  have  spoken  of  and  the  river  of  San  Antonio,  where  we 
had  gone,  and  traveled  three  and  a  half  leagues,  stopping  at 
night  on  the  bank  of  the  river  San  Nicholas. 

26th  day  of  September. 

We  left  the  river  San  Nicholas  with  the  two  Lagunas,  Jose 
Maria  and  Joaquin,  and  arriving  at  the  Aguas  Calientes  river 
we  crossed  it,  and  traveled  two  leagues  to  the  south;  here  we 
halted  in  a  plain  and  near  a  stream  of  good  water,  which  we 
called  the  Arroyo  de  San  Andres  (the  Creek  of  Saint  An- 
drew). It  seems  to  have  water  continually  and  so  appears 
to  be  a  small  river  rather  than  a  stream  or  creek.  On  its 
banks  are  middling  large  trees,  and  in  the  branches  many 
small  animals  breed,  as  unknown  to  us  as  the  trees  them- 
selves. 

Today,  two  leagues. 

26th  day  of  September. 

Leaving  the  Creek  of  Saint  Andrew,  going  south,  a  league 
over  the  plain,  we  crossed  another  small  river  which  flows 
over  the  surface  of  the  ground,  making  it  very  good  for  plant- 
ing. We  continued  to  the  south  over  the  same  plain  a  league 
and  a  half.  We  passed  the  northern  opening  of  it  to  the 
east,  which  we  named  the  Puerto  de  San  Pedro  (the  Pass 
of  Saint  Peter)  and  entered  into  another  long  valley  towards 


184  THE   CATHOLIC   CHURCH  IN   UTAH 

the  east,  and  near  salt-pits  that  the  Timpanois  use;  we 
named  it  the  Valle  de  las  Salinas  (the  Valley  of  the  Salt- 
Pits),  which  is  one  of  the  npper  ones  already  spoken  of,  and 
extends  from  the  north  to  the  south  fourteen  leagues,  and 
from  east  to  west  five  leagues.  It  is  all  level  ground,  with 
plenty  of  water  and  grass,  though  only  a  small  river  runs 
through  it.  Here  many  fowls  breed,  of  the  same  kind  as 
those  of  which  we  have  already  spoken  in  this  diary. 

We  went  another  four  leagues  over  the  plain  of  the  valley, 
and  halted  at  a  fountain  of  good  water,  which  we  called  El 
Ojo  de  San  Pablo  (the  Fountain  of  Saint  Paul).  As  soon  as 
we  had  halted,  Jose  Maria  and  Joaquin  brought  in  five  In- 
dians from  the  nearby  settlements;  we  gave  them  something 
to  eat  and  to  smoke,  and  we  offered  to  them  the  same  things 
we  gave  to  the  others.  We  found  them  as  kind  and  gentle 
as  the  lake  Indians,  showing  much  pleasure  when  they  heard 
that  priests  and  Spaniards  were  coming  to  live  with  them. 
They  remained  with  us  until  near  midnight.  Today,  six 
leagues  and  a  half. 

28th  day  of  September. 

We  left  the  Fountain  of  Saint  Paul,  and  went  four  leagues 
to  the  south  to  a  small  river  that  flows  to  the  eastern  part  of 
the  Sierra,  in  which,  they  say,  are  the  Salt-Pits.  We  rested 
here  a  short  time  in  the  shade  of  the  poplars,  for  the  heat  was 
very  great;  we  had  hardly  seated  ourselves,  when  from  be- 
hind some  thick  cane  brush  we  saw  coming  towards  us  in 
great  fear  eight  Indians,  the  most  naked  of  any  we  had  yet 
seen,  with  only  a  piece  of  deer  skin  around  their  loins.  We 
talked  to  them,  and  they  answered  back,  but  without  in  the 
least  understanding  us.  The  two  Lagunas  and  the  guide  who 
went  on  ahe^ad  had  given  us  to  understand  by  signs  that  they 
were  friendly  and  very  gentle.  We  continued  to  the  south, 
and  going  three  leagues,  a  half  league  to  the  south  and  an- 
other half  to  the  southeast,  we  stopped  again  in  the  valley 
near  to  a  fountain  that  we  named  San  Bernardino. 

Today,  eight  leagues,  nearly  direct  south. 

29th  day  of  September. 


THE    CATHOLIC    CHUKCH   EH   UTAH  185 

Leaving  San  Bernardino  and  going  to  the  south-south- 
west, we  met  six  Indians,  and  talked  a  long  time  with  them, 
and  by  means  of  the  two  Lagunas  and  the  interpreter,  we 
preached  to  them,  and  they  listened  with  great  attention. 
Going  two  leagues  and  a  half,  we  went  in  a  southwest  direc- 
tion, now  leaving  the  Salt-Pits  that  still  extended  to  the 
south.  Here  we  met  an  old  Indian  of  venerable  aspect,  living 
in  a  little  hut  all  alone,  his  beard  so  long  and  matted  that  he 
resembled  one  of  the  Hermits  of  Europe.  He  told  us  of  a 
river  near  by  and  of  the  ground  over  which  we  would  have 
to  travel.  We  went  to  the  southwest  half  a  league,  going  to 
the  west-northwest  through  mountain  passes,  and  over  arid 
rising  plains,  a  league  and  a  half,  and  came  to  a  river  with- 
out discovering  it  until  we  had  reached  its  bank;  we  stopped 
in  a  plain  of  good  pasturage,  which  we  named  Santa  Isabel. 
We  took  observations  by  the  north  star,  and  found  ourselves 
in  39°  4'  latitude. 

Today,  four  leagues. 

Soon  after  we  had  halted,  four  Indians  came  from  the 
other  bank  of  the  river.  We  invited  them  to  approach,  and 
all  the  afternoon  they  were  with  us.  They  gave  us  informa- 
tion of  the  land  which  they  knew,  and  of  the  stream  by  which 
we  had  to  go  on  the  following  day.  This  river,  according  to 
the  name  the  Indians  gave  to  it,  appeared  to  be  the  San 
Buenaventura,  but  we  doubted  it,  because  here  it  contained 
but  little  water,  less  than  where  we  crossed  it  in  41°  19'  lati- 
tude, so  that  after  it  unites  with  the  San  Clemente,  the  San 
Cosme  and  the  San  Damian  and  other  small  rivers,  it  carried 
less  water.  More  than  this,  it  seems  to  be  the  same  as  the 
one  that  Silvestre  told  us  of,  when  we  were  in  this  same  lati- 
tude, which  flows  through  his  country,  and  as  he  had  told  us 
other  things  about  the  mountains,  rivers  and  lakes,  that  we 
found  to  be  as  he  had  said,  which  included  this  one,  that  flows 
by  Santa  Monica,  we  think  it  is  the  same  stream. 

30th  day  of  September. 

Very  early  there  came  to  the  camp  twenty  Indians,  ac- 
companied by  those  that  came  in  the  afternoon  of  yesterday, 


186  THE   CATHOLIC   CHURCH   IN   UTAH 

all  wrapped  in  blankets  made  of  rabbit  and  hare  skins.  They 
conversed  with  us  very  pleasantly  until  nine  o'clock  in  the 
morning,  as  gentle  and  as  affable  as  the  others  had  been. 
These  had  a  much  shorter  beard  than  the  Lagunas,  and  their 
noses  were  pierced ;  through  the  hole  in  the  nose  was  carried 
a  small  polished  bone  of  the  deer,  hen  or  other  animal.  In 
features  they  resembled  the  Spaniards  more  than  all  the  other 
Indians  now  known  in  America,  and  from  whom  they  differ 
in  appearance.    They  use  the  language  of  the  Timpanogotzis. 

From  this  river  and  place  of  Santa  Isabel  these  Indians 
begin  to  wear  heavy  beards,  which  give  them  the  appearance 
of  Spaniards,  who,  they  say,  live  on  the  other  bank  of 
-the  Tiron  river,  which,  according  to  general  report,  is  the 
large  river  that  is  made  up  of  the  Dolores  and  the  rivers  that 
unite  with  the  Navajo.  At  nine  o'clock  we  left  Santa  Isabel, 
crossing  the  river,  and  by  a  plain  of  burnt  woodland,  very 
difficult  for  the  animals,  we  went  three  leagues  and  a  half  to 
the  south.  We  entered  a  small  canon  of  good  land,  and  at  a 
short  distance  farther  on  came  to  a  land  of  abundant  pastur- 
age, but  without  water,  and  traveled  over  it  a  league  and  a 
half,  to  the  south;  here  behind  some  low  hills  we  found  a 
fountain  of  water,  which  we  called  el  Ojo  de  Cisneros  (the 
fountain  of  Cisneros),  near  which  are  two  small  trees  that 
mark  it. 

Today,  five  leagues  to  the  south. 

1st  day  of  October. 

We  left  the  Fountain  of  Cisneros,  and  went  back  a  half 
league  to  the  north.  We  again  took  to  the  south,  and  went  a 
quarter  of  a  league  through  a  glen  in  some  places  very  stony, 
and  going  up  it  a  mile  we  reached  the  Sierra  (that  from  the 
Valley  of  the  Salt  Pits  continues  to  the  south) ;  we  went  a 
quarter  of  a  league  to  the  southwest,  and  discovered  an  ex- 
tended plain  surrounded  by  a  mountain  range,  from  which  we 
had  been  told  the  river  Santa  Isabel  descended  to  the  valley. 
Going  over  this  plain,  we  continued  to  the  west,  and  descend- 
ing a  mountain  pass,  we  turned  to  the  west-northwest,  over 
low,  stony  hills,  and  two  leagues  farther  on  we  entered  a 


THE   CATHOLIC    CHURCH   IN   UTAH  187 

woodland  burnt  over.  Along  the  bank  of  a  dry  stream,  with- 
out even  a  footpath,  we  went  three  leagues  to  the  west ;  leav- 
ing the  stream,  and  going  two  leagues  west,  a  quarter  to  the 
north,  we  came  to  level  ground.  As  we  thought  we  saw  a 
marsh  or  lake,  we  took  a  short  cut  and  found  that  what  we  be- 
lieved to  be  water  was  mostly  salt,  saltpetre,  and  teques- 
quite.*  We  continued  to  the  west,  a  quarter  to  the  south,  by 
the  plain,  passing  sandpits,  and  went  more  than  six  leagues, 
but  we  could  not  proceed  farther.  We  halted  without  hav- 
ing found  either  water  or  grass  for  the  animals.  There  was 
some  poor  grass  where  we  stopped,  but  in  all  the  rest  of  the 
plain  that  we  had  crossed  there  was  neither  good  nor  bad 
pasturage  of  any  kind. 

Today,  fourteen  leagues. 

Two  of  our  companions  had  gone  ahead  looking  for  water, 
and  they  said  that  a  league  farther  on  from  this  place  water 
could  be  found.  With  this  information  we  decided  that  as 
soon  as  the  moon  shone,  we  would  take  the  animals,  a  few 
at  a  time,  to  drink  and  to  bring  water  for  the  company.  We 
did  not  find  the  water,  so  leaving  two  men  with  the  animals, 
three  others  went  to  look  for  it  in  the  direction  in  which  they 
said  the  river  Santa  Isabel  flowed. 

2d  day  of  October. 

We  awoke  very  early,  not  knowing  where  the  three  were 
who  went  to  look  for  water,  nor  did  we  hear  anything  of  the 
horses;  one  of  those  who  had  remained  with  the  horsee, 
came  at  six  o'clock  without  being  able  to  give  any  account 
of  them,  of  his  companion,  nor  of  the  other  three,  because  he 
and  his  companion  had  gone  to  sleep.  The  horses  strayed 
away  looking  for  water,  each  one  of  them  in  a  different  direc- 
tion; Don  Pedro  Cisneros  went  at  once  on  a  bare-backed 
horse  to  hunt  them  up,  and  found  them  seven  leagues  behind, 

*  Tequesquite  is  the  modern  Mexican  name  for  alkali,  called  by  Her- 
nandez nitrum  mexicammi,  and  derived  from  the  Nahuatl  tequixquitl, 
which  is  described  as  "impure  natron  which  effloresces  on  the  surface  of  the 
soil  and  of  which  the  principal  components  are  the  sesquicarbonate  of  soda 
and  the  chloride  of  sodium."  This  product,  of  which  the  ancient  Mexicans 
made  great  use,  is  still  frequently  used  at  present.  The  natives  recognize 
four  kinds :  espumilla,  confitillo,  cascarilla  and  polvillo. 


188  THE   CATHOLIC    CHURCH   IN   UTAH 

in  the  half  of  the  preceding  day's  journey,  and  returned  with 
them  about  midday.  A  short  time  after,  the  men  who  had 
gone  to  look  for  water,  returned,  bringing  with  them  some 
Indians,  whose  villages  are  on  the  banks  of  the  river  Santa 
Isabel,  and  to  which  our  men  had  gone.  They  were  the  In- 
dians with  beards  and  pierced  noses,  and  in  their  language 
are  called  Tirangapui.  There  were  five  of  them,  including 
their  chief,  and  their  beards  were  so  long  and  thick  that  they 
looked  like  Capuchin  priests  or  monks.  The  chief  was  of 
mature  age,  though  not  old,  and  very  fine  appearing.  They 
seemed  very  happy  when  talking  to  us,  and  in  a  very  short 
time  we  gained  their  good  will.  The  chief,  knowing  that  one 
of  our  number  was  still  missing,  sent  his  four  Indians  at  once 
to  look  for  him,  and  to  conduct  him  to  where  Ave  were;  each 
one  was  to  take  a  different  direction.  This  was  a  kindness 
worthy  of  our  utmost  gratitude,  and  unlooked  for  by  us  from 
a  people  so  savage ;  and  who  had  never  before  seen  any  one 
like  us.  The  chief  soon  saw  the  missing  one  coming,  and 
very  joyfully  gave  us  the  news.  We  preached  the  Gospel  to 
them  as  well  as  we  could,  with  the  aid  of  the  interpreter. 

We  explained  to  them  the  unity  of  God,  punishment  for 
sin,  reward  given  to  the  good,  the  necessity  of  Holy  Baptism, 
and  also  the  knowledge  and  observance  of  the  Divine  Law. 
Being  so  occupied,  we  did  not  see  three  others  that  came  to- 
ward us,  and  the  chief  told  us  that  they  were  of  his  people 
also,  and  asked  us  to  continue  our  conversation  longer,  so 
that  they,  too,  might  hear  what  we  had  to  tell  them  for  their 
good,  or  well-being.  He  told  them,  when  they  arrived,  that  we 
were  priests,  and  that  we  were  teaching  them  what  they  had 
to  do  to  get  to  heaven,  and  so  they  should  be  very  attentive. 
What  he  told  them  had  a  great  effect  upon  them,  and  while 
wc  could  understand  only  one  or  two  words  of  the  Yuta 
tongue,  yet  we  knew  what  they  were  saying  by  their  actions 
even  before  the  interpreter  translated  the  words.  We  told 
therii  that  if  they  wished  to  follow  the  good  way  we  had 
shown  them,  that  we  would  return  to  them  with  other  priests, 
so  thst  they  could  be  instructed  like  the  Lagunas,  who  were 


THE   CATHOLIC   CHURCH  IN  UTAH  189 

now  waiting  to  become  Christians;  but  in  that  case  they  would 
have  to  live  all  together,  and  not  so  scattered  as  they  now 
were.  They  all  replied  with  much  pleasure  that  we  should  re- 
turn with  the  other  priests,  that  they  would  do  all  that  we 
taught  them  and  commanded  them  to  do,  the  chief  adding 
that,  if  we  wished  and  thought  it  would  be  more  convenient, 
they  would  go  and  live  with  the  Lagunas  (which  we  had  al- 
ready proposed  to  them). 

We  bade  good-by  to  them  all,  especially  to  the  chief,  and 
they  took  our  hand  with  great  tenderness  and  affection.  We 
had  only  just  left  them,  when  they  all,  following  the  example 
of  their  chief,  began  to  jump  up  and  to  cry  and  shed  tears, 
and  even  when  we  were  a  long  way  off  we  could  still  hear 
them  lamenting;  poor  lambs  of  Christ,  wandering  about  for 
want  of  the  light.  They  so  moved  us  to  compassion  that  some 
of  our  companions  could  not  restrain  their  tears. 

In  this  place,  which  we  called  the  Salt  Plain,  we  found 
white  and  delicate  shells,  from  which  we  concluded  the  plain 
was  at  one  time  a  lake  larger  than  any  other  we  had  seen.  We 
took  the  latitude  and  found  we  were  in  39°  34'  36".  This 
observation  we  took  by  the  sun,  almost  in  the  middle  of  the 
plain,  that  from  north  to  south  is  a  little  more  than  thirty 
leagues,  and  from  east  to  west  about  fourteen.  In  most  parts 
the  grazing  is  very  poor,  and  although  two  rivers  empty  into 
it — the  Santa  Isabel  on  the  north  and  another  smaller  one  on 
the  east,  whose  waters  are  very  brackish — we  saw  no  good 
location  for  a  settlement.  In  the  afternoon  we  continued  our 
journey,  in  a  south-southeast  direction,  because  the  marshes 
and  lakes  would  not  permit  us  to  go  south,  which  was  the 
direct  road  to  where  we  should  leave  the  plain;  and  going 
three  leagues  we  stopped  near  a  small  mountain,  from  which 
we  named  the  place,  which  had  marshes  of  much  pasturage, 
but  of  salty  water,  el  Cerrillo  (the  Little  Mountain). 

Today,  three  leagues  to  south-southeast. 

3d  day  of  October. 

Leaving  the  Little  Mountain,  we  made  many  turns,  be- 
cause we  were  surrounded  by  marshes.  We  decided  to  cut 
across  the  river  of  the  east,  that  seemed  to  exhaust  itself 


190  THE   CATHOLIC   CHURCH   IN   UTAH 

in  the  marshes  and  lakes  of  the  plain,  and  which  contained  an 
abundance  of  fish.  The  bed  of  the  river  was  very  miry,  and 
the  animal  on  which  the  interpreter  Andres  was  riding  fell 
into  a  marsh,  and  was  got  out  only  by  giving  him  a  hard  blow 
on  the  head.  We  went  along  with  much  trouble,  and  traveled 
six  leagues  to  the  south  and  a  quarter  to  the  west,  over  level 
ground,  and  arrived  at  a  stream  which  seemed  to  have  con- 
siderable water,  but  we  found  only  a  few  pools,  in  which  the 
animals  drank  with  difficulty.  Notwithstanding  this,  we 
halted  here,  for  there  was  good  pasturage.  The  ravine  had 
in  all  parts  a  kind  of  white  soil,  dry  and  thin,  that  from  a  dis- 
tance looked  like  cloth  spread  out,  from  which  we  named  it 
Arroyo  del  Tejedor  (the  Stream  of  the  Weaver).  Today, 
six  leagues  south,  and  a  quarter  to  the  west. 

4th  day  of  October. 

Leaving  the  Weaver,  we  ascended  in  a  southerly  direc- 
tion, and  after  a  quarter  of  a  league  we  descended  a  little 
to  the  'south-southwest,  and  going  a  little  less  than  five 
leagues,  we  arrived  at  the  southern  exit  of  the  salt-plain, 
and  here  we  found,  in  the  same  stream,  more  water  and  much 
better  than  yesterday,  and  also  beautiful  meadows  of  abund- 
ant and  good  grass  for  the  animals,  which  were  very  tired, 
for  the  brackish  water  had  affected  them.  We  halted  here, 
and  named  the  place  las  Vegas  del  Puerto  (the  Meadow  of 
the  Gateway). 

Today,  five  leagues. 

oth  day  of  October. 

We  left  the  Vegas  del  Puerto  going  south  along  the  bank 
of  the  same  stream,  and  traveling  two  leagues,  declining  then 
three  leagues  to  the  southwest,  we  halted  in  another  valley  of 
the  stream,  naming  it  San  Atenogenes.    Today,  five  leagues. 

This  morning  before  we  left  the  Vegas  del  Puerto,  the 
Laguna,  Jose  Maria,  left  us  without  saying  good-by.  We 
saw  him  leave  the  camp,  but  did  not  say  anything  to  him,  nor 
follow  to  bring  him  back,  because  we  wished  him  to  have  en- 
tire liberty.  We  did  not  know  what  motive  he  had  in  doing 
this,  although,  as  the  interpreter  told  us  afterwards,  he  had 
become  discouraged,  seeing  that  we  were  so  far  from  his 


THE    CATHOLIC    CHURCH   IN   UTAH  191 

country,  but  doubtless  it  was  something  that  happened  the 
night  before.  It  was  this :  Don  Juan  Pedro  Cisneros,  called 
to  his  boy,  Simon  Lucero,  to  come  with  him  and  the  others  to 
recite  the  rosary,  and  he  not  coming,  the  father  reproved 
him  for  his  laziness  and  lack  of  devotion;  while  Don 
Juan  was  reprimanding  him  the  boy  attacked  him,  and  they 
grappled  arm  to  arm.  As  soon  as  we  heard  the  disturbance 
from  where  we  were  reciting  the  Matins  of  the  day  following, 
we  put  a  stop  to  it,  although  not  soon  enough,  to  calm  the 
frightened  Jose  Maria,  for  we  tried  to  impress  upon  him  that 
Don  Juan  was  not  angry,  and  even  though  a  father  should 
reprimand  a  son  as  had  now  happened,  that  he  would  never 
wish  to  kill  him,  as  he  thought,  and  so  he  had  no  cause  for 
fear.  Nevertheless,  he  left  us,  giving  us  no  notice,  and  we 
were  now  without  any  one  who  knew  the  country  through 
which  we  had  to  travel.  We  were  very  sorry  for  this  inci- 
dent, because  we  wished  him  to  participate  in  the  good  which 
we  could  not  now  extend  to  him. 

As  soon  as  we  had  halted,  two  of  our  number  went  to 
examine  the  western  part  of  the  Sierra  and  a  valley  that  was 
in  it,  to  see  if  it  was  passable,  and  if  it  showed  any  appear- 
ance of  having  water  and  grass  for  the  horses. 

When  it  was  very  late  they  returned,  saying  they  had  not 
found  any  opening  by  which  we  could  cross  the  mountains; 
that  they  were  very  high  and  rocky  in  this  direction ;  and  in 
front  of  it  was  an  extended  plain,  with  neither  grass  nor 
water.  Now  we  could  not  continue  in  this  direction,  which  was 
the  best  for  us  to  arrive  at  Monterey,  and  so  we  decided  to 
continue  south  until  we  had  crossed  the  mountain  range  by  an 
extended  valley  that  began  from  this  place  of  San  Atenogenes, 
and  which  we  called  el  Valle  de  Nuestra  Sefiora  de  Luz  (the 
Valley  of  OurLady  of  Light).  We  continued  along  the  stream 
del  Tejedor,  with  sufficient  good  water,  and  plains  with 
abundant  pasturage,  which  in  the  valley  we  left  were  very 
scarce.  During  the  past  few  days  there  had  been  a  strong, 
cold  wind  blowing  from  the  south,  which  resulted  in  a  heavy 
snow  storm,  so  thick  that  not  only  the  tops  of  the  mountains 


192  THE   CATHOLIC   CHURCH   IN   UTAH 

were  covered,  but  also  the  low-lands  were  buried  in  snow 
during  the  night. 

6th  day  of  October. 

It  was  still  snowing  at  daybreak,  and  continued  to  snow 
all  day,  so  that  we  could  not  resume  our  journey.  The  night 
came  on,  and  seeing  conditions  were  no  better,  we  implored 
the  intercession  of  our  Mother  and  Patron,  reciting  in  chorus 
the  three  parts  of  the  rosary,  singing  the  litanies.  It  pleased 
God  that  at  nine  o'clock  at  night  the  snow,  hail  and  rain 
ceased. 

7th  day  of  October. 

Neither  could  we  leave  San  Atenogenes  today.  We  were 
at  a  great  inconvenience  and  suffered  much  from  the  extreme 
cold,  being  without  wood ;  with  so  much  snow  and  water,  the 
ground  here  is  very  soft  and  almost  impassable. 

8th  day  of  October. 

We  left  San  Atenogenes  by  the  plain  going  south,  and 
with  great  difficulty  went  only  three  leagues  and  a  half,  be- 
cause the  ground  was  so  soft  and  marshy,  that  many  of  the 
pack  and  saddle  horses,  and  even  those  that  were  unloaded, 
either  fell  or  sunk  in  the  mud.  We  halted  about  a  mile  to 
the  west  of  the  stream,  naming  the  place  Santa  Brigida  (Saint 
Bridget),  in  which  we  found  we  were  in  38  degrees,  3  minutes 
and  30  seconds  latitude.  Today  three  leagues  and  a  half  to 
the  south. 

Today  we  suffered  much  with  the  cold,  because  a  "north- 
er" had  been  blowing  all  day;  from  here  we  still  intended  to 
go  to  the  presidio  and  new  settlements  of  Monterey,  but 
they  were  still  very  distant;  although  we  had  gone  only  1 
degree,  23y2  minutes  from  the  halt  at  Santa  Brigida,  we 
had  not  advanced  to  the  west,  according  to  our  computation, 
more  than  one  hundred  and  six  leagues  and  a  half;  but  ac- 
cording to  our  own  judgment,  since  we  had  not  had  any  news 
from  the  Indians  about  the  Spaniards  and  priests  of  Mon- 
terey, and  on  account  of  the  difference  of  longitude  which  on 
the  maps  mark  that  port  and  the  city  of  Santa  Fe,  we  had 
yet  many  more  leagues  to  go  to  the  west. 

The  winter  had  now  set  in  with  great  rigor,  and  all  the 


THE   CATHOLIC    CHURCH  IN  UTAH  193 

mountain  ranges  that  we  could  see  were  covered  with  snow; 
the  weather  was  very  changeable,  and  long  before  we  could 
reach  them  (in  Monterey)  the  mountain  passes  would  be 
closed  up,  and  we  would  be  obliged  to  remain  two  or  three 
months  on  some  mountain,  where  there  were  no  people  and 
where  we  would  not  be  able  to  provide  necessary  food.  The 
provisions  we  had  brought  were  now  nearly  exhausted,  and 
if  we  continued  to  go  on  we  would  be  liable  to  perish  with 
hunger  if  not  with  cold. 

We  also  considered,  that  even  though  we  should  arrive  in 
Monterey  this  winter,  we  could  not  get  back  to  the  city  of 
Santa  Fe  before  the  month  of  June  of  the  next  year,  which 
delay,  together  with  the  regular  and  necessary  ones  of  an 
undertaking  so  interesting,  as  the  one  we  were  following, 
would  be  very  prejudicial  to  the  souls  of  the  Indians  to  whom 
we  promised  to  return  and  who  sought  their  eternal  welfare 
by  means  of  holy  baptism.  Seeing  so  much  delay  in  the  ful- 
fillment of  our  promises  to  them,  they  would  lose  hope  and 
would  consider  that  we  had  intended  to  deceive  them,  which 
would  make  their  conversion  much  more  difficult  in  the  fu- 
ture, and  also  affect  the  extension  of  the  kingdom  of  His 
Majesty  in  these  parts ;  to  this  would  be  added  the  difficulties 
of  the  return  of  the  frightened  Laguna  Jose,  who  had  left  us 
and  had  returned  to  his  country,  making  it  almost  impossible 
to  obtain  guides;  considering  all  this,  and  also  that  by  going 
to  the  south  of  Santa  Brigida,  we  might  be  able  to  discover 
a  shorter  and  better  road  than  that  of  the  Sabuaganas,  to  go 
from  Santa  Fe  to  the  lake  of  the  Timpanois,  and  to  the 
country  of  the  bearded  Indians,  and  perhaps  to  some  other 
people  still  unknown  to  us  or  to  those  who  might  live  on  the 
northern  bank  of  the  Rio  Grande,  considering  all  this,  we  do* 
cided  to  go  to  the  south,  when  the  weather  would  permit,  as 
far  as  the  Colorado  River,  and  from  there  direct  our  course 
toward  Cosnina,  Moqui  and  Zuiii. 

New  Route,  and  the  Beginning  of  Our  Return  From  38  De- 
grees, 3  Minutes  and  30  Seconds  Latitude. 

9th  da>-  of  October. 

We  left  Santa  Brigida,  going  south  six  leagues  with  less 


194  THE   CATHOLIC   CHURCH   IN   UTAH 

difficulty  than  yesterday,  the  ground  being  harder  and  less 
muddy;  we  halted  near  the  junction  of  the  valley  and  the 
plain  of  Nuestra  Senora  de  la  Luz,  from  which  point  it  is 
wider,  and  toward  the  southwest.  We  called  this  halting 
place  San  Riistico,  and  although  the  stream  of  water  and  the 
grass  for  pasturage  were  not  very  near,  we  found  everything 
very  comfortable;  the  water  being  from  the  rain,  and  not 
perennial. 

Today,  six  leagues  to  the  south. 

10th  day  of  October. 

We  left  San  Rustico  going  south  one  league,  and  three 
leagues  to  the  south-southwest.  We  came  to  a  small  rise  of 
ground,  in  the  middle  of  the  plain,  where  we  surveyed  with 
the  eye  the  extent  of  the  plain  and  valley  of  "The  Light." 
We  ascended  the  hill,  and  we  saw  that  from  here  to  the  south- 
west it  extended  more  than  35  or  40  leagues,  and  we  could 
scarcely  see  the  mountains  where  it  ended,  they  being,  as  we 
afterwards  discovered,  very  high.  We  also  saw  three  large 
pools  of  hot  and  very  sulphurous  water  on  the  eastern  side  of 
the  plain,  on  the  lower  edge  of  which  are  small  patches  of 
land  full  of  saltpetre.  We  continued  along  the  plain  and  go- 
ing two  leagues  to  the  south,  we  halted,  fearing  that  farther 
on  we  would  not  find  water  for  the  night ;  here  we  had  plenty 
of  good,  melted  snow,  forming  a  small  lake,  also  good  grass ; 
we  named  the  place  San  Eleuterio. 

Today,  six  leagues. 

To  this  place  the  bearded  Yutas  come  from  the  south, 
and  this  seems  to  be  the  terminus  of  their  land. 

11th  day  of  October. 

We  left  San  Eleuterio,  going  south,  a  quarter  to  the 
east,  and  let  our  companions  go  on  before  us  so  that  we  could 
confer  together  as  to  the  most  expedient  means  for  us  to 
adopt  to  dispel  from  the  minds  of  our  companions,  especially 
from  Don  Bernardo  Miera,  Don  Joaquin  Lain,  and  the  inter- 
preter Andres  Muiiiz,  the  disgust  which  they  felt  on  account 
of  our  abandoning  the  route  to  Monterey  to  follow  this  one, 
that  we  now  understood  to  be  expedient,  and  according  to 


THE   CATHOLIC    CHURCH   IN   UTAH  195 

the  Holy  will  of  God,  for  Whom  only  we  desired  to  journey, 
for  Whom  we  were  willing  to  suffer,  and  if  necessary,  even 
to  die.  We  had  told  them  the  motives  of  our  new  decision 
in  Santa  Brigida,  and  in  place  of  submitting  to  our  proposals, 
they  directed  their  thoughts  against  us,  and  continued  to  be 
displeased ;  all  this  was  very  painful  and  almost  insufferable. 
They  had  no  other  topic  of  conversation  than  the  fruitless- 
ness  of  such  a  prolonged  journey;  because  there  had  not  yet 
been  discovered  any  great  country,  as  they  said,  nor  a  people 
so  well  disposed  as  to  be  easily  added  to  the  vineyard  of  the 
Lord  or  to  the  dominion  of  His  Majesty,  whom  God  preserve. 
They  said  we  had  not  become  acquainted  with  any  extended 
provinces  before  unknown,  and  finally  that  we  had  not  se- 
cured one  single  soul  to  the  fold  of  the  Church,  the  obtaining 
of  which  is  the  greatest  reward,  and  worthy  of  the  most  ex- 
tended journey,  and  of  the  greatest  efforts  and  fatigue. 

But  they  would  not  listen  to  our  arguments,  because  Don 
Bernardo  had  entertained  without  any  encouragement  on  our 
part,  great  hopes  of  obtaining  honor  and  reward  on  our  ar- 
rival at  Monterey;  and  he  told  these  hopes  to  the  others, 
building  lofty  air-castles,  and  assuring  them  that  we  de- 
prived them  all  of  these  imaginary  benefits,  so  that  even  the 
servants  caused  us  anxiety.  A  little  time  before  this,  Don 
Bernardo  said  that  we  had  advanced  but  little  towards  the 
west,  and  that,  there  was  much  country  to  cross  before  reach- 
ing Monterey;  and  now  even  the  servants  asserted  that  if 
we  had  gone  on  within  eight  days  we  would  have  arrived  at 
Monterey.  Before  we  left  the  village  of  Santa  Fe,  we  had 
said  to  all  and  to  each  one  of  our  companions,  that  in 
this  journey  we  had  no  other  object  in  view,  than  that  which 
God  gave  us,  and  that  we  were  not  stimulated  by  the  hope  of 
any  temporal  benefit ;  and  that  whoever  among  them  had  for 
his  purpose  the  trading  with  the  unbelievers,  or  following 
his  own  particular  interests,  without  considering  the  only  ob- 
ject of  this  enterprise,  which  was  and  is  to  the  greater  honor 
and  glory  of  God  and  the  extension  of  the  faith,  it  would 
be  better  for  him  not  to  accompany  us. 


196  THE   CATHOLIC   CHURCH   IN   UTAH 

Many  times  on  the  way  we  had  admonished  them  that  they 
should  change  some  of  their  ways,  because  if  not  we  would 
suffer  difficulties  and  disappointments,  and  we  would  not  ac- 
complish all  that  we  had  desired.  In  part  they  had  seen  this 
come  true,  when  they  had  not  closed  their  eyes  to  the  truth, 
not  being  able  to  attribute  it  to  circumstances.  We  were 
more  and  more  troubled  every  day,  and  it  discouraged  us 
very  much  to  see  that  instead  of  things  concerning  heaven, 
those  of  the  world  were  sought  for  first  and  principally.  In 
order  to  make  them  understand  more  clearly  that  it  was  not 
from  fear,  nor  by  our  own  determined  will  that  we  had 
changed  our  course,  we  resolved  to  free  ourselves  of  these 
charges.  Having  implored  the  Divine  forbearance,  and  the 
intercession  of  our  patron  saints,  we  would  endeavor  to  find 
out  the  will  of  God  by  casting  lots,  one  for  Monterey,  and  the 
other  for  Cosnina,  and  we  would  follow  the  road  that  should 
be  determined  by  lot.  We  overtook  our  companions,  and  had 
them  dismount  from  their  horses;  now  being  all  together, 
Father  Francisco  Atanasio  put  before  them  all  the  diffi- 
culties and  inconveniences  we  would  have  to  suffer  if  we 
continued  toward  Monterey,  and  what  we  would  gain  by  the 
return  to  Cosnina ;  and  finally  the  misfortunes  and  losses  we 
would  have  suffered  before  this,  if  God  had  not  carried  out 
His  own  plans.  He  reminded  them  of  all  the  hardships  they 
would  have  to  endure  by  continuing  toward  Monterey,  and 
especially  he  reminded  them  of  the  desertion  of  the  guide, 
the  Laguna  Jose. 

He  assured  them  also  that  if  the  lot  was  cast  for  Mon- 
terey, we  would  have  no  other  guide  than  Don  Bernardo 
Miera,  as  he  considered  it  so  near.  He  then  made  them  a 
short  exhortation,  advising  them  to  put  aside  all  kind  of  evil 
passions,  to  submit  themselves  entirely  to  God,  and  ask  of 
Him  with  firm  hope  and  living  faith,  that  He  declare  to  us 
His  will.  They  all  agreed  like  Christians,  and  with  fervent 
devotion  recited  the  third  part  of  the  rosary,  while  we  recited 
the  Penitential  Psalms  with  the  litanies  and  the  other  pray- 
ers which  follow.    Concluding  our  prayers,  we  cast  lots,  and 


THE   CATHOLIC    CHURCH   IN   UTAH  197 

it  came  out  in  favor  of  Cosnina.  We  all  accepted  this,  thanks 
be  to  God,  willingly  and  joyfully. 

We  now  proceeded,  shortening  the  way  as  much  as  possi- 
ble. We  went  from  San  Eleuterio  ten  leagues;  two  to  the 
south,  four  to  the  east,  three  to  the  south-southeast  (now 
leaving  the  plain  of  Our  Lady  of  Light),  a  quarter  to  the 
southeast,  one  and  a  quarter  to  the  south-southeast,  three 
and  a  half  to  the  southeast,  over  good  ground;  and,  after 
crossing  a  mountain  of  pine-nut  and  juniper  trees  by  a  long 
canon  full  of  good  grass,  and  afterward  over  hillocks  of 
abundant  grass,  we  descended  into  a  beautiful  valley  and  halt- 
ed for  the  night  by  a  little  river  on  one  of  its  banks,  where 
there  was  an  abundance  of  pasturage.  We  named  it  the  Val 
le  Rio  de  Sehor  San  Jose  (The  Valley  and  River  of  Saint 
Joseph). 

Today,  ten  leagues. 

We  took  observations  by  the  north  star  and  found  our- 
selves in  latitude  37  degrees,  33  minutes. 
Continuation  of  the  Route  and  Diary  From-  37  Degrees,  33 
Minutes  Latitude,  by  the  Small  River  of  San  Jose,  and 
by  the  Way  of  the  Rivers  Colorado  and  Cosnina. 

12th  day  of  October. 

We  left  the  small  river  of  San  Jose,  in  which  there  were 
many  deep  miry  places,  crossing  a  large  moor  with  good 
water  and  grass  in  it,  through  the  middle  of  which  ran  a  stream 
of  water  like  a  ditch.  Having  passed  it  to  the  northwest,  we 
went  directly  south  along  the  western  edge  of  the  slope  of  the 
plain,  and  going  over  a  poor  road  four  leagues  and  a  half, 
we  saw  our  companions  who  had  gone  some  distance  ahead  of 
us,  quickly  leave  the  road ;  we  hastened  on  to  know  the  reason, 
and  when  we  reached  them  they  were  already  talking  with 
an  Indian  woman  whom  they  had  stopped,  as  she  was  run- 
ning away  with  others  that  were  gathering  seeds  and  herbs 
on  the  plain;  there  were  about  twenty  of  them.  We  were 
sorry  to  see  them  so  frightened,  that  they  could  not  talk,  and 
we  tried  to  dispel  their  fears  by  means  of  the  interpreter  and 
of  the  Laguna  Joaquin. 


198  THE   CATHOLIC    CHURCH   IN   UTAH 

As  soon  as  they  had  somewhat  recovered,  they  told  us 
that  in  this  vicinity,  there  were  many  of  their  people,  and 
that  they  had  heard  them  say  that  towards  the  south  the  peo- 
ple wore  blue  clothes,  and  that  the  Rio  Grande  river  was  not 
far  from  here.  We  could  not  get  from  them  clearly  what 
nation  wore  the  blue  garments  or  clothes,  nor  could  we  form 
any  opinion  of  what  nation  they  spoke,  from  what  they 
told  us,  for  we  knew  that  the  Payuchis  wore  only  a  red  dress. 
It  soon  occurred  to  us  that  the  Cosninas  buy  blue  woollen 
garments  in  Moqui,  and  so  we  judged  that  it  was  of  these 
they  spoke,  from  which  fact  we  inferred,  that  we  were  near 
the  Colorado  river  and  Cosnina.  These  Indian  women  were 
poorly  dressed,  and  wore  only  a  piece  of  deerskin  hang- 
ing from  the  waist,  which  hardly  covered  what  one  could 
not  see  without  danger.  We  took  leave  of  them,  asking  them 
to  tell  their  people  that  we  came  in  peace,  that  we  would 
injure  none  of  them,  and  that  we  loved  them  all,  and  that  the 
men  who  were  able  should  come  to  where  we  were  going  to 
sleep,  without  imagining  any  evil  would  befall  them. 

We  proceeded  by  the  plain  and  valley  of  San  Jose,  and 
went  another  three  leagues  to  the  south,  seeing  other  Indian 
women  who  fled  from  us.  We  sent  the  interpreter  with 
Joaquin  and  another  companion  to  try  to  bring  one  of  them 
to  where  we  were  to  halt  nearby,  in  order  to  inquire  of  them 
if  the  Rio  Grande  was  as  near  as  the  other  Indian  women 
had  assured  us  it  was,  and  to  see  if  some  of  them  did  not 
wish  to  accompany  us  in  the  capacity  of  guides  as  far  as  Cos- 
nina. They  ran  with  such  swiftness  that  our  men  could 
hardly  overtake  even  one;  Don  Joaquin  Lain  brought  an  In- 
dian man  with  him  behind  him  on  his  horse  to  where  we  had 
already  halted.  We  continued  another  half  league  to  the 
south,  near  to  a  small  river  which  we  named  Rio  de  Nuestra 
Senora  a  la  Pilar  de  Zaragosa  (River  of  Our  Lady  of  the 
Pillar  of  Zaragosa),  where  there  was,  as  in  all  the  rest  of  the 
valley,  abundant  and  good  pasturage. 

Today,  eight  leagues  to  the  south. 

This  Indianwhom  our  companion  brought  to  the  camp  was 


THE    CATHOLIC    CHURCH   IN   UTAH 


199 


so  excited  and  so  terrified  that  he  seemed  almost  insane.  He 
looked  everywhere  and  at  everybody,  and  our  every  action  or 
movement  frightened  him  exceedingly,  and  to  escape  what  he 
feared,  he  gave  great  attention  when  we  spoke  to  him;  but 
he  answered  so  promptly,  that  he  seemed  rather  to  guess  at 
the  questions  than  to  understand  them.  We  quieted  him  a 
little  by  giving  him  something  to  eat  and  a  ribbon  that  we  our- 
selves put  on  him.  He  brought  a  large  hemp  net  that  he  said 
they  used  to  catch  hares  and  rabbits.  When  we  asked  him 
where  these  nets  came  from,  he  replied  from  other  Indians 
that  lived  below  the  great  river,  from  which  place  we  after- 
wards found  they  brought  the  colored  shells;  and  according 
to  the  direction  and  the  distance  at  which  he  placed  them, 
they  appeared  to  be  the  Cocomaricopas. 

With  regard  to  the  distance  to  the  Rio  Grande,  and  the 
blue  clothes,  he  told  us  the  same  as  the  Indian  women  had, 
adding  that  some  colored  wool  which  he  now  had,  he  pur- 
chased, this  summer,  from  those  who  brought  the  blue  clothes, 
and  who  had  crossed  the  river.  We  asked  him  in  many  ways 
about  the  Cosninas,  but  he  gave  us  no  information  about 
them,  either  because  his  people  give  them  another  name,  or 
because  he  thought  that  if  he  acknowledged  that  he  knew 
them,  we  would  take  him  by  force  to  conduct  us  to  them;  or 
really  because  he  did  not  know  them.  We  asked  him  if  he 
had  heard  any  one  say  that  to  the  west  or  to  the  northwest 
(pointing  in  the  direction)  there  were  Fathers  or  Spaniards, 
and  he  replied  no ;  that  although  there  were  many  people  who 
lived  in  that  direction,  they  were  all  of  his  language  and  In- 
dians like  himself.  We  showed  him  a  grain  of  corn,  and  he 
said  that  he  had  seen  how  they  cultivated  it,  and  that  on  a 
ranch  that  we  would  come  to  some  other  day,  they  had  a 
little  of  this  seed  that  they  brought  from  where  it  was  sown. 
We  tried  diligently  to  have  him  tell  us  what  people  they  were 
who  had  sowed  the  corn,  and  of  other  things  of  which  he  had 
but  a  confused  knowledge;  we  could  learn  from  him  only, 
that  these  people  lived  on  this  side  of  the  Rio  Grande.    All 


200  THE   CATHOLIC   CHURCH  IN   UTAH 

night  be  was  with  us  of  his  own  accord,  and  promised  to  take 
us  to  the  ranch. 

13th  day  of  October. 

We  left  the  little  river  and  halting  place  of  Our  Lady  of 
the  Pillar,  going  south,  accompanied  by  the  Indian,  to  whom 
we  had  promised,  if  he  would  guide  us  to  where  the  others 
were,  a  knife.  We  went  two  leagues  and  a  half  to  the  south, 
and  arrived  at  the  ranch  spoken  of  above,  that  was  his. 
On  it  were  an  old  Indian,  a  boy,  several  children,  and  three 
women,  all  good-looking.  They  had  some  very  good  nuts, 
dates,  and  some  small  bags  of  corn.  We  talked  with  the  old 
Indian  a  long  time,  but  he  told  us  only  what  we  had  already 
heard.  We  gave  to  him  who  had  conducted  us  here  the  prom- 
ised knife,  and  we  proposed  to  them,  that  if  one  of  the 
three  would  accompany  us  to  those  who  sowed  the  corn,  we 
would  pay  him  well. 

By  the  answer  we  knew  that  they  did  not  trust  us,  and 
that  they  were  very  much  afraid  of  us ;  but  at  the  suggestion 
of  some  of  the  company,  we  put  before  them  a  knife  and 
some  glass  beads.  The  old  Indian  quickly  took  them  and,  im- 
pelled by  his  suspicions,  offered  to  guide  us,  in  order  to  get 
us  away  from  here,  as  we  afterwards  found  out;  and  also  to 
give  his  family  time  to  save  themselves  by  taking  refuge  in 
the  mountains  nearby.  The  old  Indian  and  the  younger  one 
who  had  passed  the  preceding  night  with  us,  continued  to 
accompany  us.  We  went  one  league  and  a  half  to  the  south, 
.and  descended  to  the  small  river  of  the  Pillar,  that  here  has 
.a  leafy  grove;  we  crossed  it,  now  leaving  the  valley  of  San 
•Jos6,  and  came  upon  a  mountain  ridge  that  lies  in  the  Sierras 
in  the  form  of  a  harbor.  In  the  roughest  part  of  this  moun- 
tain our  two  guides  left  us,  and  we  never  saw  them  again. 
We  praised  their  foresight  in  bringing  us  to  a  place  so  well 
adapted  to  their  safe  and  free  flight,  as  they  thought,  a  de- 
sign, which  we  had  suspected  by  the  manner  in  which  they 
consented  to  guide  us,  and  by  their  great  fear  of  us.  We  pro- 
ceeded now  without  a  guide,  traveling  with  great  difficulty 
because  of  the  stones,  a  league  to  the  south,  and  descending 


THE   CATHOLIC   CHUKCH   IN   UTAH  201 

the  second  time  to  the  River  of  the  Pillar,  where  we  halted 
in  a  beautiful  grove  on  its  bank,  naming  the  place  San  Daniel. 

Today,  five  leagues  to  the  south. 

The  valley  of  San  Jose,  through  which  we  had  passed,  lies 
for  the  most  part  to  the  north,  in  37  degrees,  33  minutes  of 
latitude,  and  from  north  to  south  it  is  about  twelve  leagues 
long,  and  from  east  to  west  in  parts  more  than  three  leagues 
wide,  in  some  parts  two,  and  in  others  only  one,  or  less.  It 
contains  an  abundance  of  very  good  pasturage;  it  has  large 
plains  and  a  few  marshes,  and  has  land  sufficient  for  a  vil- 
lage and  for  crops;  for  although  it  has  no  water  for  irriga- 
tion, except  from  the  two  small  rivers  of  San  Jose  and  the 
Pillar,  the  great  humidity  of  the  soil  would  overcome  this 
objection. 

It  is  so  humid  in  every  part  of  the  valley,  that  not  only  the 
rising  ground  and  low  portions,  but  also  the  high  parts,  have 
grass  as  green  and  fresh,  as  the  most  fertile  plains  of  the 
river  during  the  months  of  June  and  July.  There  is  near  by  a 
very  great  abundance  of  woodland,  timber,  spruce  and  pine, 
a  good  place  to  pasture  herds  of  large  and  small  cattle.  The 
Indians  who  live  in  this  vicinity  to  the  west,  north  and  east, 
call  it  in  their  tongue,  Huascari;  they  are  scantily  dressed, 
subsist  on  seeds  and  herbs,  hares,  pine-nuts  in  season,  and  on 
dates.  They  plant  corn,  but,  from  appearances,  gather  but 
little.  They  are  extremely  timid,  and  different  from  the 
Lagunas  and  the  bearded  Indians. 

14th  day  of  October. 

We  left  San  Daniel,  going  south  and  a  quarter  to  the  west 
by  the  western  bank  of  the  river.  We  turned  a  little  away 
from  it,  going  two  leagues  over  plains  of  white  sand  very 
dazzling,  and  very  rocky  in  parts. 

We  passed  two  fountains  full  of  good  water  that  empty 
into  the  river.  We  declined  to  the  south  over  stones  of  Mal- 
pais  (which  is  like  the  dross  of  metal,  though  heavier),  now 
over  sandy  ground  and  now  by  sandbanks,  and  went  another 
two  leagues,  descending  for  the  third  time  to  the  river,  and, 
crossing,  halted  on  its  bank  where  there  was  good  pasture, 


202  THE  CATHOLIC   CHURCH  IN  UTAH 

naming  it  San  Hugolino.  The  climate  is  mild  here,  because 
although  we  felt  much  heat  yesterday,  last  night  and  to-day 
on  the  banks  of  the  river  it  was  still  green,  the  roses  and  flow- 
ers were  so  brilliant  and  so  fresh,  that  we  knew  there  had 
been  no  frost  and  not  much  cold  here.  We  saw  also  mezquite 
brush,  which  does  not  grow  in  cold  lands. 

Today,  four  leagues  to  the  south. 

We  left  San  Hugolino  by  the  western  bank  of  the  river 
and  by  the  sides  of  some  rising  slopes  near  by,  going  two 
leagues  and  a  half  to  the  south-southeast,  returning  to  the 
bank  and  middle  of  14ie  river.  Here  we  found  a  well-made 
basket  filled  with  ears  of  corn  and  husks.  Near  to  this  place 
was  a  small  field  and  on  the  bank  of  the  river  were  three  small 
gardens,  with  their  ditches  for  irrigating;  the  cribs  of  corn 
that  had  been  gathered  this  year,  were  still  in  good  condition. 
This  gave  us  great  satisfaction,  not  only  for  the  hope  we 
had  of  being  able  to  replenish  our  stock  of  provisions,  but 
principally  because  it  indicated  the  care  with  which  these  peo- 
ple had  cultivated  the  land,  making  it  easier  to  civilize  them, 
and  to  turn  them  to  the  Faith  when  the  Most  High  should  will 
it,  because  now  we  knew  what  it  cost  to  teach  these  truths  to 
other  Indians,  and  how  difficult  it  was  to  overcome  their  aver- 
sion to  labor,  which  is  necessary  in  order  to  live  in  communi- 
ties and  towns.  From  here  we  went  down  the  river,  and  on 
the  banks  of  either  side  were  large  settlements  peopled,  as  we 
supposed,  by  these  Indians,  who  planted  the  corn  and 
squashes,  and  who,  in  their  own  language,  are  called  Parrusi. 

We  continued  down  the  river  in  a  southerly  direction,  and 
went  half  a  league.  Declining  to  the  southwest,  we  left  the 
river,  but  a  deep  gully  without  a  path  obliged  us  to  return 
more  than  a  quarter  of  a  league  toward  the  river,  which  here 
flows  to  the  southwest;  two  other  small  rivers  enter  into  it 
at  this  point,  one  coming  from  the  north-northeast  and  the 
other  from  the  east.  This  one  for  the  most  part,  contains 
hot,  sulphurous  water,  for  which  reason  we  called  it  Rio  Sul- 
fureo  (Sulphur  River). 

Here  there  is  a  grove  of  large  black  poplar  trees,  some 


THE   CATHOLIC   CHURCH   IN   UTAH  2(J3 

willows  and  wild  grape  vines.  On  the  tract  over  which 
we  went  there  are  ash  pits,  veins  of  ore,  and  other  indi- 
cations of  minerals.  We  crossed  the  river  of  the  Pillar  and 
the  Sulphur  river  near  to  where  they  unite,  and,  going  in  a 
southerly  direction,  we  ascended  a  low  table-land,  between 
steep  rocks  of  black  shining  stone.  Ascending  this  we  came 
to  good  open  land,  crossed  a  narrow  plain,  that  to  the  east 
has  a  range  of  very  high  table-lands,  and  to  the  west  plains 
of  burnt  woodland,  and  red  sand.  On  this  plain  we  could 
have  gone  by  the  sides  of  the  table-lands,  and  finished  our 
journey  on  good,  level  ground;  but  those  that  went  ahead 
changed  the  direction  in  order  to  follow  a  fresh  Indian  trail, 
and  so  took  us  over  the  low  hills  of  red  sand,  which  greatly 
tired  the  horses.  We  proceeded  three  leagues  to  the  south- 
west (having  traveled  over  these  same  plains  and  table-lands 
before,  two  leagues  to  the  south). 

We  descended  now  to  the  south  two  leagues,  and  came  to 
a  place  overlooking  a  small  valley  surrounded  by  hills ;  on  one 
of  these  hills  we  now  found  ourselves  and  unable  to  descend 
to  the  valley.  There  was  neither  water  nor  pasturage  here 
for  the  animals,  which  could  not  now  go  farther.  We  suc- 
ceeded in  going  down  by  a  slope,  which  was  rocky  and  full 
of  stones.  We  went  three-quarters  of  a  league  to  the  south, 
and  halted  by  a  stream  where  we  found  large  pools  of  good 
water,  and  plenty  of  grass  for  the  animals.  We  named  the 
place  the  Arroyo  del  Taray  (The  Tamarind  Stream),  be- 
cause of  the  trees  growing  there. 

Today,  ten  leagues,  which,  in  a  direct  course,  would  be 
seven  south  and  a  quarter  to  the  west.  We  took  observations 
by  the  north  star,  and  found  ourselves  in  3G  degrees,  52  min- 
utes, and  30  seconds  of  latitude.  In  this  plain  or  little  valley, 
there  are  more  tamarind  trees;  the  branches  of  which  are 
much  used  for  medicine  in  New  Mexico.  To-night  all  of  our 
provisions  are  entirely  gone,  leaving  us  only  two  tablets  of 
chocolate  for  to-morrow  morning. 

16th  day  of  October. 

We  left  the  Arroyo  with  the  intention  of  going  south  to- 


204  THE   CATHOLIC    CHURCH   IN    UTAH 

wards  the  Colorado  river;  but  having  gone  only  a  little  way 
we  heard  some  people  calling  to  us,  and  turning  to  see  where 
the  sound  came  from,  we  saw  eight  Indians  on  the  tops  of  the 
hills  where  we  had  halted,  and  which  we  had  just  left,  which 
are  in  the  middle  of  a  plain  full  of  chalk  and  a  kind  of  mica. 
We  returned  by  these  plains,  giving  directions  that  the 
interpreter  should  follow  us,  as  he  had  gone  on  ahead.  We 
came  to  the  foot  of  the  mountains,  and  we  gave  them  to  under- 
stand that  they  should  come  down  without  fear,  because  we 
came  in  peace  and  were  friends.  With  this  assurance  they 
came  down,  showing  us  some  strings  of  chalchihuite,*  each  one 
with  a  colored  shell,  which  set  us  thinking,  because  the  strings 
of  chalchihuite  looked  to  us  like  rosaries,  and  the  shells  like 
medals  of  the  saints.  We  remained  with  them  a  short  time; 
they  spoke  the  Yuta  tongue  so  differently  from  the  other 
Yutas,  that  neither  the  interpreter,  nor  the  Laguna  Joaquin, 
could  make  them  understand,  or  could  understand  much  of 
what  they  said.  Nevertheless,  by  signs  and  because  in  some 
sentences  they  spoke  Yuta  more  like  the  Lagunas,  we  under- 
stood that  they  were  Parusis  (except  one  who  spoke  more  Ara- 
bic than  Yuta,  whom  we  judged  to  be  a  Jamajaba).  These 
were  they  who  cultivated  the  land  on  the  banks  of  the  river 
Pillar,  and  lived  below  the  river  on  large  tracts.  We  took  them 
to  be  Cosninas,  but  afterwards  found  they  were  not.  They 
offered  their  chalchihuites  in  trade,  but  we  told  them  that  we 
had  nothing,  but  if  they  wished  to  come  with  us  to  where  our 
countrymen  were,  then  we  would  give  them  what  they  asked, 
and  would  talk  with  them  longer.  They  all  came  much 
pleased,  but  with  fear.  We  now  talked  with  them  more  than 
two  hours  and  a  half  or  three.  They  told  us  that  we  would 
arrive  at  the  Rio  Grande  in  two  days ;  but  that  we  could  not 
go  by  the  way  we  had  wished,  because  it  had  no  watering  place, 
nor  would  we  be  able  to  cross  the  river,  for  the  banks  were 
very  high,  the  river  very  deep,  and  the  sides  were  rocky  and 
dangerous,  and  finally  that  from  here  to  the  river  the  travel- 

*  A  small  shell  brought  inland  from  the  coast  by  the  Indians  and  worn 
as  an  ornament. 


THE    CATHOLIC    CHURCH   IN   UTAH  205 

ing  was  very  bad.  We  presented  them  with  two  knives, 
and  to  each  one  string  of  beads.  Then  we  proposed  to  them 
that  if  any  one  of  them  cared  to  guide  ns  to  the  river,  we 
would  pay  him.  They  replied  that  one  of  them  would  show 
us  the  way  to  the  canon  which  was  in  the  land  to  the  east  of 
the  plain,  and  from  that  point  we  could  go  alone;  because 
they  were  barefooted  and  could  not  well  travel. 

We  did  not  want  to  leave  the  south  road  that  led  to  the 
river,  notwithstanding  what  they  said,  because  we  suspected 
that  the  Moquis  entertained  hard  feelings  towards  the  Cos- 
ninas,  on  account  of  having  guided  Father  Garces,  and  they 
were  suspicious  that  they  would  direct  other  priests  and 
Spaniards  into  the  Moqui  towns,  which  they  had  attempted, 
with  threats  to  prevent,  and  having  heard  of  this,  these  Indi- 
ans now  tried  to  turn  us  aside  so  that  we  might  not  reach  the 
Cosninas  nor  their  neighbors,  the  Jamajabas.  Yet  because  of 
the  urging  on  the  part  of  all  our  companions,  to  whom  we  did 
not  wish  for  the  present  to  declare  our  suspicions,  we  consent- 
ed to  take  the  route  of  the  canon. 

We  offered  to  these  Indians  soles  made  of  trunk-leather 
to  make  sandals  if  they  would  give  us  a  guide.  They  said 
they  would  accompany  us  until  they  had  put  us  on  a  straight, 
good  road.  We  entered  with  them  into  the  canon  I  have  men- 
tioned, and  traveled  for  a  league  and  a  half,  the  journey  be- 
ing made  with  great  difficulty  and  with  much  slipping  back 
of  the  horses,  on  account  of  the  sharp,  flinty  stones  and  the 
many  dangerous  spots  over  which  we  were  compelled  to  climb. 
We  came  to  one  place  where  the  passage  was  so  narrow  that 
it  required  more  than  half  an  hour  to  get  the  first  three  horses 
to  enter  the  defile.  Then  we  came  to  a  lofty  precipice,  so 
steep  that  it  would  cost  infinite  trouble  to  climb  it,  even  on 
foot.  Seeing  that  it  would  be  impossible  for  us  to  follow 
them,  the  Indians  turned  and  fled,  impelled  to  do  so,  probably, 
by  their  cowardice. 

We  found  it  necessary  to  turn  back  in  order  to  find  again 
the  southern  road.  We  first  stopped  awhile  to  rest  the  ani- 
mals and  give  them  food  and  water,  of  which  there  was  a 


206  THE   CATHOLTC   CHUECH   IN   UTAH 

little  here ;  but  the  water  was  so  bad  that  some  of  the  horses 
would  not  drink  it.  In  the  afternoon  we  retraced  our  steps 
through  the  entire  length  of  the  canon,  and  having  traversed 
a  half  league  in  a  southerly  direction,  we  camped  near  the 
southern  entrance  of  the  valley,  without  water  for  either  our- 
selves or  the  horses.  We  were  in  great  straits  all  the  night, 
for  we  had  no  food  of  any  kind  whatsoever,  and  for  this  rea- 
son we  determined  to  take  the  life  of  a  horse  in  order  not  to 
lose  our  own;  but  as  we  had  no  water,  we  thought  best  to 
wait  until  we  could  obtain  it.  We  had  so  severe  a  journey 
today  that  we  advanced  only  a  league  and  a  half  to  the 
south. 

October  the  17th. 

We  continued  our  journey  to  the  southward;  passing  the 
entrance  to  the  little  valley  by  going  through  a  ravine  in  which 
we  found  a  pool  of  good  water,  sufficient  for  all  the  animals. 
We  kept  on  to  the  south  two  leagues,  then  took  our  course  to 
the  southeast  two  leagues,  and  in  another  ravine  we  found  an 
abundance  of  good  water,  not  only  in  one  place,  but  in  many. 
And  although  it  was  rain  water,  and  that  which  gathers  in 
the  trails,  it  does  not  seem  to  become  exhausted  the  entire 
year.  Here  we  discovered  some  of  the  herbs  that  are  called 
"quelites."  We  thought  we  could  use  them  in  satisfying  our 
hunger,  but  we  were  able  to  gather  only  a  few,  and  these 
were  very  small. 

We  took  our  way  to  the  southeast,  and  journeyed  four 
and  a  half  leagues  over  level  and  good  country,  although 
somewhat  spongy ;  we  stopped,  partly  to  see  if  in  the  ravines 
running  down  from  the  mesa  we  could  find  water,  and  partly 
to  give  some  of  the  seasoned  herbs  I  have  mentioned  to  Don 
Bernardo  Miera,  who,  as  he  had  had  no  nourishment  since  yes- 
terday morning,  was  now  so  weak  that  he  could  hardly  speak. 
We  ordered  a  search  made  in  the  packs  and  other  parcels  in 
which  we  had  carried  our  provisions,  to  see  if  any  fragments 
of  food  could  be  found,  and  we  came  across  a  few  pieces  of 
squash  that  the  servants  had  obtained  the  day  before  from 
the  Parusi  Indians,  and  had  hidden  them  away  so  as  not  to 
invite  the  rest  to  share  with  them. 


THE   CATHOLIC   CHURCH   IN   UTAH  207 

With  these  fragments  and  a  piece  of  brown  loaf-sugar 
which  we  found,  we  fixed  up  a  sort  of  baked  dish  for  all  the 
party,  and  took  a  little  nourishment.  We  did  not  find  water, 
and  as  we  could  not  pass  the  night  here,  we  concluded  to 
move  on  in  a  southerly  direction.  Some  of  our  companions, 
without  having  informed  us  of  their  intentions,  went  to  exam- 
ine the  mesa  in  the  east  and  the  country  around  it.  They  re- 
turned, telling  us  that  the  ascent  to  the  summit  of  the  mesa 
was  good,  and  that  from  that  on  there  was  level  ground 
broken  by  many  ravines,  in  which  there  must  be  water,  and 
they  thought  the  river  must  be  at  the  end  of  the  plain  which 
extended  from  the  base  of  the  mesa  on  the  other  side.  On 
hearing  this,  our  party  as  a  whole  was  inclined  to  change  the 
direction  of  our  course;  but  we,  who  knew  how  often  they 
had  been  deceived,  and  that  in  so  short  a  time  they  could 
not  have  seen  so  much,  were  of  a  contrary  opinion,  because 
we  could  see  pretty  level  and  good  country  to  the  south,  and 
we  had  today  found  so  much  good  water  in  spite  of  what 
had  been  told  us  by  the  Indians,  and  had  traveled  over  so 
much  good  road,  that  we  were  all  the  more  reluctant  to 
change.  But  as  we  had  no  provisions,  and  water  might  be  far 
away,  and  since  to  follow  our  own  judgment  might  be  more 
inconvenient  to  the  party  than  to  do  without  water  and  food, 
we  told  them  to  go  ahead  and  do  as  they  thought  best;  they 
took  us  to  the  mesa  in  the  southeast,  climbing  it  by  way  of  a 
broken  ravine,  or  gorge  filled  with  stone,  in  which  there  was 
much  white  stone  of  a  good  quality  that  is  used  for  whiten- 
ing. We  reached  the  summit  of  the  mesa  by  one  of  the  pre- 
cipitous sides  covered  with  black  stone,  and  camped  on  a 
small  plain  where  there  was  some  pasture  but  no  water.  We 
called  the  place  San  Angel.    Today,  nine  leagues. 

We  regretted  very  much  having  changed  our  course,  be- 
cause, judging  from  the  height  we  had  reached,  if  we  had  con- 
tinued to  the  south  we  would  soon  have  arrived  at  the  river. 
After  we  had  camped,  we  were  told  by  those  who  had  come 
first  to  the  mesa,  that  they  thought  they  had  seen  water  at  a 
short  distance  from  this  spot.  Two  of  them  went  to  bring  us 
some,  but  they  did  not  return  that  night,  and  the  day  dawned 


208  THE   CATHOLIC    CHURCH   IN    UTAH 

0 

without  our  seeing  anything  of  them.  We  concluded  that  they 
had  gone  in  search  of  Indian  villages,  to  report  their  dire  dis- 
tress. For  this  reason,  and  because  we  had  no  water,  we  de- 
termined to  go  ahead  without  waiting  for  them. 

October  the  18th. 

We  went  out  from  San  Angel,  in  a  south-southeasterly 
direction,  and  after  a  journey  of  half  a  league  we  turned  to 
the  east,  a  point  to  the  south  two  leagues,  over  hills  and  ex- 
tended valleys,  covered  with  grass,  but  very  rocky,  and  not 
finding  any  water  we  turned  to  the  east ;  a  point  to  the  north 
another  two  leagues,  going  up  and  down  rocky  hills,  very 
trying  on  the  horses.  Five  Indians  were  looking  at  us  from 
a  short  but  lofty  mesa.  When  we  two,  who  followed  in  the 
rear  of  our  companions,  were  passing  by  they  spoke  to  us. 
When  we  turned  towards  them,  four  of  them  hid  themselves, 
and  only  one  remained  in  sight.  We  saw  that  he  was  in  grep£ 
fear. 

We  could  not  persuade  him  to  descend  the  cliff,  and  we 
two  climbed  up  alone,  with  great  difficulty.  At  each  step  that 
we  took  as  we  came  nearer  to  him,  he  was  disposed  to  flee 
from  us.  We  gave  him  to  understand  that  he  should  not  be 
afraid,  that  we  loved  him  as  a  son  and  desired  to  speak  with 
him.  With  this,  he  waited  for  us,  making  many  gestures  to 
show  that  he  was  in  great  fear. 

After  we  had  climbed  up  to  where  he  was,  we  embraced 
him  gently,  and  sitting  down  by  his  side,  we  called  up  the  in- 
terpreter and  Laguna.  When  he  had  recovered  a  little  from 
his  fear,  he  told  us  that  four  others  were  hidden  near  there, 
and  if  we  desired,  he  would  call  them,  so  that  we  might  see 
them.  On  giving  him  an  affirmative  response,  he  laid  his  bow 
and  arrows  on  the  ground,  took  the  interpreter  by  the  hand, 
and  led  him  to  where  the  others  were  in  order  to  bring  them 
to  us.    They  came,  and  we  talked  with  them  about  an  hour. 

They  told  us  that  water  was  close  by.  We  begged  of  them 
to  show  it  to  us,  promising  them  a  piece  of  woollen  goods; 
and  after  a  good  deal  of  persuasion  three  of  them  promised 
to  go  with  us.     We    journeyed   with    them,    very  much  fa~ 


THE    CATHOLIC    CHURCH   IN    UTAH  209 

tigued  and  weakened  from  hunger  and  thirst,  a  league  in  a 
southeasterly  direction,  and  another  league  to  the  south,  over 
a  rocky  road,  and  reached  a  small  mountain  covered  with  ce- 
dar bushes,  and  then  to  a  ravine,  in  whose  cavities  we  found 
two  large  pools  of  good  water.  We  took  what  we  needed  for 
ourselves,  and  then  brought  the  horses  near,  and  as  they 
were  very  thirsty  they  drank  all  the  water  from  the  pools. 
We  determined  to  pass  the  night  here,  calling  the  place  San 
Samuel.    Today,  six  leagues. 

The  three  Indians  who  accompanied  us  were  so  filled  with 
fear  that  they  did  not  want  to  walk  in  front  of  us  nor  permit 
us  to  draw  near  to  them,  until  they  had  talked  with  the  La- 
guna  Joaquin;  what  he  told  them  concerning  us  satisfied 
them,  and  they  were  reassured.  Among  other  things,  they 
asked  him  how  it  was  that  he  had  the  courage  to  accompany 
us.  As  he  desired  to  relieve  their  minds  of  all  fear  and  to 
find  some  relief  from  the  hunger  and  thirst  we  were  suffering, 
he  replied  in  the  best  way  he  could ;  and  he  succeeded  in  calm- 
ing their  fears  and  suspicions,  and  in  this  way,  in  all  probabil- 
ity, he  kept  them  with  us  until  we  reached  the  place  where 
we  found  water. 

After  we  had  made  our  camp,  we  gave  them  the  piece  of 
woollen  cloth  we  had  promised  them,  and  they  were  greatly 
pleased  with  it.  Knowing  that  we  came  without  any  provi- 
sions, they  told  us  to  send  one  of  our  party  along  with  one 
of  theirs,  to  visit  their  wigwams,  which  were  at  some  dis- 
tance away,  and  bring  us  something  to  eat,  and  that  they 
would  remain  with  us  until  they  returned.  We  sent  one  of 
the  half-breeds  with  the  Laguna  Joaquin,  giving  them  some- 
thing with  which  to  make  purchases,  and  sending  along  sev- 
eral pack  animals  to  bring  the  burden.  They  departed  with 
the  other  Indian,  and  returned  to  us  after  nightfall,  bringing 
us  a  little  dried  meat,  some  prickly  pears  made  in  the  form 
of  a  cake,  and  the  seeds  of  some  herbs.  They  brought  us 
news  also  of  one  of  the  two  men  who  had  gone  from  us  the 
night  before  to  search  for  water,  saying  that  he  had  been  in 
their  village;  the  other  arrived  about  ten  o'clock  at  night. 


210  THE   CATHOLIC    CHURCH   IN   UTAH 

October  the  19th. 

There  came  to  our  camp  twenty  of  these  Indians  with 
dried  prickly  pears  in  cakes  or  chunks,  and  several  leather 
bags  filled  with  seeds  of  different  kinds  to  sell  to  us.  We  paid 
them  for  what  they  had  brought,  and  told  them  that  if  they 
had  meat,  pine  nuts  and  more  prickly  pear,  to  bring  them, 
and  we  would  buy  them,  especially  the  meat.  They  said  they 
had  them,  but  that  it  would  be  necessary  for  us  to  wait  for 
them  until  midday.  We  agreed  to  do  so,  and  they  went  away ; 
one  of  them  offered  to  accompany  us  to  the  river  if  we  would 
wait  until  the  afternoon,  and  we  agreed  to  that  also.  In  the 
afternoon  there  came  many  more  than  had  been  with  us  be- 
fore, and  among  them  one  who  was  called  a  Jacarilla-Apache, 
who  said  he  had  come  with  two  others  of  his  tribe  from  his 
territory  to  this,  crossing  the  river  only  a  few  days  before. 
He  was  of  disagreeable  countenance,  and  differed  from  the 
other  Indians  in  the  disgust  that  our  presence  here  inspired 
in  him,  and  in  the  more  haughty  mien  that  he  purposely  as- 
sumed, as  we  could  easily  see.  They  told  us  that  these 
Apaches  were  their  friends. 

They  did  not  bring  us  any  meat,  but  had  several  bags  of 
seeds  and  some  fresh  prickly  pears,  somewhat  sunburnt,  and  a 
quantity  of  them  dried  in  cakes.  We  purchased  about  a 
bushels  and  a  half  of  the  seeds  and  all  the  prickly  pears.  We 
conversed  with  them  for  a  long  time  concerning  the  distance 
to  the  river,  and  the  road  to  it;  their  number  and  mode  of 
life;  the  tribes  that  were  upon  their  borders,  and  about  the 
guide  that  we  asked  of  them.  They  pointed  out  the  way  we 
should  take  to  get  to  the  river,  and  gave  us  a  somewhat  vague 
description  of  the  crossing  place,  with  the  statement  that  we 
should  arrive  there  within  two  or  three  days.  They  told  us 
they  were  called  Yubuincariri,  and  that  they  did  not  culti- 
vate corn;  that  their  means  of  sustenance  was  those  seeds, 
the  prickly  pear,  pine  nuts,  of  which  they  gathered  very  few, 
depending  upon  their  need,  and  that  they  hunted  rabbits, 
hares,  and  wild  sheep.  They  added  that  on  this  side  of  the 
river  the  Parusis  cultivated  corn  and  squashes;  that  on  the 


THE   CATHOLIC    CHUKCH   IN   UTAH  211 

other  side,  just  after  passing  across,  were  the  Ancamuchis 
(by  whom  we  understand  the  Cosninas),  and  that  these  plant- 
ed much  corn.  In  addition  to  these,  they  spoke  of  others  who 
were  their  neighbors  on  the  south-southwest,  on  this  western 
side  of  the  river,  and  that  these  are  the  Pa-uches  (Pay- 
Utahs).  They  also  gave  us  some  account  of  the  Huascaris, 
whom  we  had  already  seen  in  the  valley  of  San  Jose.  So  far 
as  concerned  the  Spaniards  of  Monterey,  they  gave  us  no 
token  whatever  that  they  had  ever  heard  of  them.  One  of 
those  who  spent  the  preceding  night  with  us  gave  us  to  under- 
stand that  he  had  heard  of  the  journey  made  by  Father  P. 
darces,  which,  taken  with  the  fact  that  all  the  others  had  de- 
nied any  acquaintance  with  the  Cosninas  (if  they  do  not 
known  them  by  the  name  given  above,  Ancamuchis),  seems  to 
prove  what  we  have  already  said  we  suspected.  The  conver- 
sation being  concluded,  they  all  went  away,  without  our  being 
able  to  secure  one  of  their  number  to  accompany  us  to  the 
river. 

Don  Bernardo  Miera  was  sick  to-day  with  stomach  trouble, 
and  so  we  could  not  leave  the  camp.  A  little  farther  in  ad- 
vance we  found  other  pools  of  water  which  satisfied  our  needs 
for  the  night. 

October  the  20th. 

We  set  out  from  San  Samuel,  taking  a  north-northeast- 
erly course,  having  the  ford  of  the  Colorado  river  as  our  ob- 
jective point.  Leaving  to  one  side  a  ridge  of  mountains,  very 
rocky,  which  appeared  in  front  of  us,  going  a  little  more  than 
two  leagues,  we  turned  to  the  northeast  and  entered  upon  a 
plain  that  was  free  from  stone,  and  having  gone  four  leagues 
we  found  in  a  ravine  several  pools  of  good  water;  having 
pushed  ahead  a  league  to  east-northeast  we  stopped  on  the 
edge  of  the  plain  between  two  small  mountains  which  stand 
in  the  plain,  close  to  a  ravine  in  which  there  was  a  great 
abundance  of  water  and  plenty  of  grass.  We  called  this  place 
Santa  Gertrudis,  whose  latitude  we  found  by  the  polar  star  to 
be  36  degrees,  30  minutes.    To-day,  seven  leagues. 

October  the  21st. 


212  THE   CATHOLIC    CHURCH   IN    UTAH 

We  left  Santa  Gertrudis,  pursuing  our  journey  to  the  east, 
and  having  gone  a  half  league,  we  turned  to  the  northeast. 
We  several  times  crossed  the  ravine  of  Santa  Gertrudis, 
which  in  many  places  has  large  pockets  of  water,  and  after 
traveling  over  a  poor  country,  with  several  turns,  five  leagues 
and  a  half  to  the  northeast,  we  went  through  a  region  of  easy 
travel,  and  making  our  way  more  than  four  leagues  to  the 
east-northeast,  we  stopped  for  the  night  near  to  a  little  val- 
ley where  there  was  grass  but  no  water,  not  even  for  man. 
Lorenzo  de  Olivares,  driven  by  the  thirst  caused  from  eating 
so  many  seeds,  pine  nuts  and  prickly  pears,  set  out  as  soon  as 
we  were  in  camp  to  hunt  for  water  in  some  one  of  the  ravines 
in  the  neighborhood,  and  he  was  absent  from  us  all  night 
long,  which  caused  us  great  uneasiness.  We  called  the  place 
Santa  Barbara.    To-day,  ten  leagues. 

October  the  22d. 

We  left  Santa  Barbara,  taking  our  course  in  a  north-north- 
easterly direction,  looking  for  Olivares.  About  two  leagues 
from  camp  we  found  him  near  a  small  pool  of  water  which 
contained  only  enough  for  our  men  and  to  fill  a  small  keg 
that  we  had  with  us,  in  case  we  should  need  it  during  the 
night.  We  went  forward  over  the  plain,  and  having  traveled 
four  leagues  to  the  northeast,  we  saw  a  trail  that  led  off  to 
the  south ;  being  informed  by  the  interpreter  that  the  Yabuin- 
cariris  had  told  him  that  this  was  the  trail  we  were  to  follow 
in  order  to  reach  the  river,  we  took  it ;  but  after  we  had  pur- 
sued our  way  to  the  south  for  about  a  league,  we  found  that 
the  interpreter  had  mistaken  the  description  given  him,  since 
the  trail  turned  back  upon  itself.  And  so  we  turned  to  the 
east,  and  ascended  a  low  mountain  that  we  had  attempted  to 
evade,  and  which  runs  north  and  south  along  the  entire  east- 
ern side  of  this  plain.  We  crossed  it  with  great  difficulty  and 
fatigue  on  the  part  of  the  horses,  because  in  addition  to  be- 
ing broken  up  with  numerous  gorges  it  was  very  rocky  and 
covered  with  pebblestones.  The  night  overtook  us  while  we 
were  descending  the  other  side  of  a  lofty  ridge  covered  with 
pebbles. 


THE   CATHOLIC   CHURCH   IN    UTAH  213 

From  this  point  we  could  see  many  fires  on  the  far  side 
of  a  small  plain.  We  concluded  that  the  interpreter  Andres 
and  the  Laguna  Joaquin,  who  had  gone  forward  in  search  of 
water  for  the  night,  had  kindled  the  fires  to  let  us  know  where 
they  were.  But  after  we  had  made  the  descent,  and  had  left 
our  trail  some  five  leagues  to  the  east-northeast,  taking  sev- 
eral turns  through  the  defiles  of  the  mountain,  we  arrived  at 
the  place  where  the  fires  were  burning,  and  found  three  wig- 
wams of  Indians,  and  with  them  our  interpreter  and  Joaquin. 
We  concluded  to  pass  the  night  here,  since  we  learned  that  to 
the  east  and  west  there  was  water  and  grass  for  the  animals, 
which  were  entirely  exhausted  from  fatigue.  We  called  the 
place  San  Juan  Capistrano.    Today,  twelve  leagues. 

As  it  was  night  when  we  reached  these  wigwams,  and  as 
the  Indians  were  not  able  to  distinguish  the  number  of  people 
who  came,  they  were  greatly  frightened,  so  much  so  that  when 
they  saw  us  arrive,  in  spite  of  the  protestations  of  the  inter- 
preter and  the  Laguna  Joaquin,  the  most  of  them  ran  away, 
leaving  only  three  men  and  two  women,  who  said  beseechingly 
to  our  Laguna:  "Brother,  you  are  of  the  same  race  as  our- 
selves; do  not  permit  those  people  with  whom  you  live  to 
kill  us."  We  petted  them  as  well  as  we  could,  and  tried  in 
every  way  that  we  thought  of  to  calm  their  fears  and  suspic- 
ions. We  succeeded  to  some  extent,  and  they  sought  to  please 
us  by  giving  us  two  roasted  hares  and  a  few  pine  nuts.  Two 
of  them  also  went,  although  with  great  fear,  to  show  the 
springs  of  water  to  our  servants,  in  order  that  our  animals 
might  have  something  to  drink. 

This  spot  is  to  the  east  of  the  northern  point  of  the  moun- 
tain I  have  mentioned,  near  to  a  number  of  ridges  of  red 
earth.  To  the  south  of  these,  very  near,  upon  the  top  of  sev- 
eral hills  covered  with  boulders  and  pine  and  cedar  trees  there 
are  two  hollows  filled  with  rain  water ;  on  this  side  of  them,  in 
a  small  gulch,  there  are  several  pools  of  water,  but  the  quan- 
tity is  small  and  the  quality  poor.  To  the  south-southwest 
of  these  same  hills,  at  the  foot  of  the  mountain,  there  is  a 
spring  of  constantly  running  water. 


214  THE   CATHOLIC   CHURCH   IN   UTAH 

After  we  had  retired  for  the  night,  several  of  our  com- 
panions, among  them  Don  Bernardo  Miera,  went  over  to  the 
wigwams  to  talk  with  the  Indians.  They  told  the  Indians 
that  Don  Bernardo  Miera  was  ill,  and  one  of  the  old  Indians, 
either  because  our  people  requested  it  or  because  he  himself 
desired  to  do  so,  set  about  curing  him  with  songs  and  incan- 
tations, which,  if  they  were  not  openly  idolatrous  were  at 
least  totally  superstitious.  All  our  people  very  willingly  per- 
mitted this  to  occur,  and  the  sick  man  was  himself  pleased 
with  it,  for  they  looked  upon  it  as  amusing  clownishness, 
when  they  ought  to  have  opposed  it  as  being  contrary  to  the 
evangelical  and  divine  law  which  they  profess  to  observe; 
at  least,  they  could  have  withdrawn  from  the  place.  We  heard 
the  songs  of  the  Indian,  but  did  not  know  what  their  purport 
was. 

When  we  were  informed  in  the  morning  of  what  had  taken 
place,  we  felt  very  much  grieved  in  spirit  because  of  so  care- 
less an  observance  of  the  laws  of  their  Church,  and  we  re- 
proved them,  and  warned  them  against  their  being  present 
voluntarily,  or  in  any  way  condoning  such  faults.  This  is 
one  of  the  reasons  why  the  unbelievers,  who  are  best  ac- 
quainted with  the  Spaniards  and  Christians  in  these  parts, 
resist  Gospel  truth,  and  their  conversion  daily  being  rendered 
more  difficult.  When  we  preached  to  the  first  Sabuaganas 
whom  we  saw,  and  announced  to  them  the  necessity  of  Christ- 
ian baptism,  the  interpreter,  either  for  the  purpose  of  not  of- 
fending them,  or  in  order  that  he  might  not  lose  their  good 
will  which  he  had  gained  by  traffic  in  pelts  (even  against  the 
just  prohibitions  of  the  governors  of  this  kingdom,  by  which 
on  repeated  occasions  it  had  been  proclaimed  that  no  half- 
breed  Indian  or  dweller  should  enter  into  the  territory  of 
the  unbelievers  without  having  obtained  first  a  license  from 
his  Excellency),  translated  the  words  of  the  preacher  in  this 
way:  "The  Father  says,  that  the  Apaches,  Navajos  and 
Comanches  who  are  not  baptized  cannot  enter  into  heaven, 
and  that  they  go  to  hell,  where  God  will  chastise  them,  and 
they  will  burn  eternally  like  wood  in  the  fire."    At  this  the 


THE    CATHOLIC   CHURCH   IN   UTAH  215 

Sabuaganas  showed  great  glee,  because  they  heard  that  their 
enemies  were  under  the  necessity  of  being  baptized  or  of  be- 
ing lost  and  punished  eternally.  The  interpreter  was  re- 
proved, and  seeing  that  his  foolish  unbelief  was  discovered, 
made  suitable  apologies.  We  could  add  other  instances,  men- 
tioned as  occurring  among  the  Yuta&,  taking  place  in  connec- 
tion with  many  idolatrous  practices-  but  the  two  mentioned, 
which  came  under  our  own  observation,  will  suffice.  For  if 
within  our  own  company,  where  idolatrous  practices  were  fre- 
quently condemned,  persons  were  found  guilty  of  transgres- 
sion, what  might  not  take  place  when  three  or  four  months 
would  elapse  among  the  unbelieving  Yutas  and  Navajos,  if 
no  one  were  present  to  reprove  them  or  hold  them  in  check? 
Besides  this,  we  have  had  abundant  reason  to  know  from 
knowledge  acquired  on  this  expedition  that  some  go  to  the 
Yutas  and  remain  a  great  while  among  them  because  of  their 
desire  to  purchase  peltries;  others  there  are  who  go  for  car- 
nal reasons,  to  indulge  in  their  animal  instincts;  and  thus  in 
every  way  the  name  of  Christ  is  blasphemed,  for  these  men 
prevent,  and  indeed  oppose,  the  extension  of  the  faith.  Oh! 
with  what  severity  such  wickedness  should  be  reproved !  May 
God  in  His  infinite  mercy  inspire  the  most  suitable  and  effica- 
cious method  for  correction! 

October  the  23d. 

We  did  not  travel  today,  for  we  wished  to  give  time  to 
the  people  about  here  to  calm  down,  and  also  that  those  who 
dwelt  in  the  vicinity  might  visit  us.  The  seeds  and  other 
things  which  we  had  purchased  and  eaten  did  us  harm,  and 
they  weakened  us  instead  of  giving  us  strength.  We  could 
not  persuade  the  people  to  sell  us  any  meat,  and  for  that  rea- 
son we  ordered  a  horse  killed,  and  the  flesh  cut  up  in  such  a 
way  that  we  could  carry  it  with  us. 

Father  Francisco  Atanasio  suffered  very  much  today 
from  severe  pains,  so  that  he  was  not  able  even  to  move. 

All  day  long  Indians  kept  arriving  from  villages  in  the 
neighborhood,  and  we  received  them  kindly  and  made  them 
such  presents  as  we  could  afford.    They  gave  us  more  partic- 


216  THE    CATHOLIC   CHUECH   JN    UTAH 

ulars  than  we  had  had  concerning  the  Cosninas  and  Mo- 
quines,  calling  them  by  these  names.  They  also  told  us  the 
trail  we  were  to  take  in  order  to  reach  the  river,  which  is 
about  twelve  leagues  from  here,  at  the  most,  and  they  de- 
scribed the  crossing.  We  purchased  of  them  about  a  bushel  of 
pine  nuts,  and  presented  them  with  a  half-bushel  of  herb 
seeds. 

The  following  day,  very  early,  twenty-six  Indians  came, 
a  number  of  them  the  same  as  came  yesterday,  while  others 
we  had  not  before  seen.  We  preached  to  them  the  Gospel, 
reproving  them  and  explaining  to  them  the  evil  and  folly  of 
their  wrong-doing,  especially  with  regard  to  the  superstitious 
cures  of  their  sick  people.  We  reminded  them  that  it  was  to 
God  only,  the  true  and  only  God,  that  they  should  go  in  their 
time  of  trouble,  because  only  He,  the  High  and  Holy  One, 
had  at  His  disposal  health  and  sickness,  life  and  death,  and 
He  can  help  everyone.  And  although  our  interpreter  could 
not  very  well  explain  this  to  them,  there  was  another  listen- 
ing who  doubtless  had  considerable  dealings  with  the  Yuta- 
Payuchis  and  who  well  understood  what  we  said ;  he  explained 
to  the  others  what  he  heard.  Learning  this  they  listened  with 
evident  satisfaction,  and  we  proposed  to  them  that  if  they  de- 
sired to  become  Christians,  priests  and  Spaniards  would 
come  to  instruct  them  and  live  among  them.  They  replied 
in  the  affirmative,  and  we  inquired  of  them  as  to  where  we 
should  find  them  when  we  came;  they  said:  "In  this  little 
mountain  and  on  the  mesas  in  the  neighborhood." 

Then,  in  order  to  gain  their  friendship  a  little  more,  we 
distributed  among  them  thirteen  yards  of  red  ribbon, 
giving  to  each  of  them  a  half -yard;  which  pleased  them 
very  much  and  for  which  they  thanked  us.  One  of  them 
had  already  agreed  to  accompany  us  as  far  as  the  river,  in 
order  to  show  us  the  crossing,  but  after  they  had  all  gone, 
and  he  had  accompanied  us  about  half  a  league,  he  was  seized 
with  so  much  fear  that  we  found  it  impossible  to  persuade 
him  to  go  farther.  Our  companions,  without  much  reflection, 
desired  us  to  compel  him  to  keep  his  word ;  but  when  we  saw 
how  disinclined  he  was  to  proceed,  we  let  him  go  freely. 


THE    CATHOLIC    CHURCH   IN   UTAH  217 

October  the  24th. 

At  nine  o'clock  in  the  morning,  or  a  little  later,  we  set 
out  from  San  Juan  Capistrano,  taking  our  course  through  a 
valley  to  the  south-southeast,  and  having  gone  a  distance  of 
four  leagues  we  turned  to  the  southeast  along  the  same  val- 
ley. We  found  here  at  the  foot  of  the  mesa  on  the  eastern 
side  of  the  valley  three  pools  of  good  water,  but  not  in  suffi- 
cient quantity  for  the  horses.  Up  to  this  point  from  our  last 
camp  we  had  traversed  a  pretty  good  country.  Journeying 
for  another  two  leagues  towards  the  southeast,  we  turned  to 
the  south-southeast  three  leagues  over  a  sandy  trail  and  very 
rough  road.  Although  we  found  no  water  for  the  animals, 
we  camped  where  we  found  pasture,  since  all  were  very  tired, 
and  night  was  well  advanced.  We  called  this  place  San  Bar- 
tholomew. The  valley  here  is  quite  large,  but  the  soil  is  poor. 
It  is  of  sandy  bottom,  on  top  of  which  is  a  layer  of  limy  earth 
about  four  inches  deep.  There  are  many  beds  of  transparent 
gypsum,  and  of  talc,  and  in  places  there  are  showings  of 
metals. 

Today,  nine  leagues. 

The  River  Colorado  flows  along  here  from  north-northeast 
to  south-southwest,  very  deep,  with  high  banks,  so  that  if  one 
should  cultivate  the  land  on  the  banks  of  the  river,  although 
the  soil  might  be  good,  the  stream  would  be  of  no  service  to 
him.  We  caught  sight  this  afternoon  of  the  precipices  lin- 
ing the  sides  of  the  river,  and  seen  from  the  western  side  they 
resembled  a  long  ridge  of  houses.  But  we  judged  them  to  be 
the  banks  of  some  of  the  many  gulches  that  are  in  the  plain. 

October  the  25th. 

We  left  San  Bartholomew,  and  took  an  east-southeasterly 
direction.  Traveled  a  little  less  than  a  league  and  a  half  to 
the  east,  not  desiring  to  arrive  at  what  was  really  the  bed  of 
the  great  river;  because  we  passed  many  streams  that  had 
banks  as  lofty  as  we  now  saw,  and  for  this  reason  we  con- 
cluded that  the  river  we  sought  did  not  run  there,  but  that  it 
was  some  other  stream.    So  that  we  bent  our  way  to  the  north- 


218  THE    CATHOLIC   CHURCH  IN   UTAH 

northeast  of  the  valley,  by  which  route  we  thought  we  would 
get  rid  of  the  mesas  that  surrounded  us.  We  entered  the  bed 
of  a  dry  river,  looking  for  water  for  the  horses,  which  were 
very  much  fatigued  and  very  thirsty,  and  having  journeyed 
along.for  two  leagues  we  found  it  impossible  to  get  out.  We 
followed  the  west  bank  until  we  were  able  to  climb  to  a  sum- 
mit that  was  very  rocky.  We  pressed  ahead  in  a  north-north- 
easterly direction,  and  having  pursued  our  route  for  two 
leagues  further,  we  descried  poplar  trees  at  the  foot  of  a 
mesa.  We  pushed  on  towards  them  and  found  a  spring  of 
good  water.  On  the  edges  of  the  spring  we  found  evidences 
of  the  presence  of  saline  matter,  and  we  concluded  we  had 
happened  upon  a  spring  of  salt  water;  but  upon  tasting- it 
we  found  it  sweet.  We  camped  here,  and  called  the  place 
San  Fructo.    Today,  five  leagues. 

In  the  afternoon,  Don  Juan  Pedro  Oisneros  left  camp  to 
examine  the  northern  point  of  the  valley,  to  see  if  he  could 
find  an  outlet,  or  could  get  sight  of  the  river  and  its  crossing. 
He  returned  after  midnight  with  the  news  that  he  had  arrived 
at  the  river ;  but  he  did  not  know  if  we  could  pass  over  some 
mesas  and  lofty  peaks  that  he  saw  on  the  other  side.  Never- 
theless, because  he  thought  the  river  afforded  a  crossing  at 
that  point,  we  determined  to  travel  in  that  direction. 

October  the  26th. 

Going  out  from  San  Fructo,  we  took  a  northerly  direc- 
tion. We  pushed  ahead  for  three  leagues  and  a  half,  and  ar- 
rived at  the  spot  that  we  had  thought  might  be  the  outlet  of 
the  valley.  It  is  a  corner  entirely  surrounded  by  mountains 
and  peaks,  very  lofty,  of  colored  red  earth  of  different  for- 
mations, and  as  the  soil  underneath  the  surface  is  of  the  same 
color,  it  has  an  agreeable  aspect.  We  continued  in  the  same 
direction,  traveling  with  great  difficulty,  for  the  horses  sank 
to  their  knees  in  the  soft  earth,  when  the  surface  was  broken 
through.  Having  covered  another  league  and  a  half,  we 
reached  the  great  river  of  the  Cosninas.  Another  smaller  one 
unites  with  it  at  this  point,  and  we  called  this  the  Santa  Te- 
resa.   We  crossed  this  one,  and  pitched  our  camp  on  the  bank 


THE    CATHOLIC   CHUECH   IN   UTAH  219 

of  the  larger  one  close  to  a  precipice  of  gray  stone.     We 

called  the  spot  San  Benito  Salsipuede/i.  }  & 

We  determined  to  make  a  reconnoitre  this  afternoon  to 
ascertain  whether,  if  we  crossed  the  river,  we  could  continue 
our  way  from  here  to  the  east  or  southeast.  On  all  sides  we 
were  surrounded  by  mesas  and  lofty  mountains.  For  which 
reason,  two  of  our  people  who  knew  how  to  swim  entered  the 
water  of  the  river,  with  their  clothing  tied  above  their  heads. 
They  found  the  current  so  deep  and  swift  that  it  was  with 
great  difficulty  they  reached  the  opposite  bank,  having  left 
their  bundle  in  the  middle  of  the  stream,  without  seeing  it 
again.  As  they  Had  got  over  with  great  fatigue,  and  because 
they  were  naked  and  bare-footed,  they  found  it  impossible  to 
make  the  desired  examination,  and  when  they  partook  of  some  (  <*■  ( 
nourishment  they  returned. 

October  the  27th. 

Don  Juan  Cisneros  reconnoitered  along  the  Santa  Teresa 
river,  to  see  if  he  could  find  a  way  to  cross  the  eastern  mesa 
and  return  to  the  great  river  by  a  route  more  open,  in  which 
the  river,  finding  more  room  would  be  more  fordable,  or  at 
least  such  that  the  horses  might  get  across,  for  here  at  this 
point  they  would  be  drowned.  Don  Pedro  traveled  all  day 
and  a  part  of  the  night  without  finding  an  outlet.  He  saw  one 
hill,  by  way  of  which  it  was  thought  we  might  surmount  the 
mesa,  but  it  appeared  to  him  to  be  of  great  difficulty.  Others 
went  to  reconnoitre  in  different  directions,  and  they  found 
nothing  but  insurmountable  obstacles,  preventing  their  find- 
ing a  crossing  unless  they  had  gone  great  distances. 

October  the  28th. 

We  entered  again  upon  the  same  search,  but  all  in  vain. 
We  constructed  a  raft  of  poles,  and  with  it  Father  Fray  Sil- 
vestre,  accompanied  by  the  servants,  attempted  to  cross  the 
river.  But  as  the  poles  which  he  employed  in  pushing  the 
raft  were  too  short  to  reach  the  bottom,  although  they  were 
five  yards  in  length,  the  waves  thrown  against  the  raft  by  a 
contrary  wind  forced  him  back  three  times  to  the  same  shore 
he  had  started  from,  without  his  having  reached  even  the  mid- 


220  THE   CATHOLIC    CHURCH   1JST    UTAH 

die  of  the  stream.  Besides  the  great  depth  and  swiftness  of 
the  current  here,  the  banks  of  the  stream  on  the  other  side 
are  so  muddy  that  we  were  afraid  we  would  lose  in  them 
some,  if  not  all,  of  our  horses. 

We  had  been  assured  by  the  Yubuincarriris  and  Pagam- 
pachis  Indians  that  the  river  everywhere  was  very  deep,  but 
not  at  the  ford,  because  there  the  water  rose  only  a  little 
above  their  waist.  For  this  reason,  and  because  of  other  signs 
they  had  given  us,  we  concluded  that  the  crossing  was  far- 
ther up  the  river  and  we  despatched  Andres  Muniz  and  his 
brother  Lucrecio  with  orders  to  travel  until  they  found  a  way 
by  which  we  could  get  across  the  mesa,  and  that  when  they 
came  again  to  the  river,  they  should  seek  a  good  fording 
place,  or  at  least  a  place  where  we  might  cross  with  a  raft, 
while  the  horses  swam. 

October  the  29th. 

Not  knowing  when  we  might  be  able  to  get  out  of  this 
place,  and  the  meat  of  the  horse  we  had  killed  being  about  ex- 
hausted, as  well  as  the  pine  nuts  and  other  stuff  we  had  pur- 
chased, we  ordered  another  horse  killed. 

October  the  30th  and  31st. 

We  remained  in  camp,  awaiting  the  return  of  those  who 
had  gone  to  find  a  passage  out  and  a  ford  across  the  river. 

November  the  1st. 

They  returned  at  one  o'clock  in  the  afternoon,  telling  us 
they  had  found  a  way  over  the  mesa,  although  exceedingly 
difficult,  and  a  place  where  we  could  cross  the  river.  The  pas- 
sage over  the  mesa  was  by  way  of  the  hill  that  Cisneros  had 
seen,  and  as  this  was  very  lofty  and  precipitous,  we  deter- 
mined to  attack  it  in  the  afternoon.  We  set  out  from  the 
Great  River  and  the  troublesome  camping  place  of  San  Benito 
de  Salsipuedes,  going  along  the  river  of  Santa  Teresa,  and 
after  we  had  gone  a  league  to  the  northwest,  we  stopped  on 
the  bank  of  the  same  river  at  the  foot  of  the  hill  I  have  men- 
tioned.   Today,  one  league. 

That  night,  after  the  sun  had  set  and  until  seven  o'clock 
in  the  morning  we  felt  the  cold  very  much. 


■1*7 


THE    CATHOLIC   CHURCH   IX   UTAH  221 

November  the  2d. 

We  left  camp  on  the  Santa  Teresa,  climbed  d  hill,  which 
we  named  Las  Animas,  and  which  may  be  a  half  league  in 
length.  We  were  more  than  three  hours  in  making  the  ascent, 
since  it  is  a  steep  and  rocky  climb,  and  following  it  there  is  a 
stretch  of  shelving  rocks  that  are  very  dangerous ;  till  at  last 
the  way  becomes  almost  impassable.  ^We  had,  however, 
reached  the  top,  and  taking  an  easterly  direction  we  went 
down  the  other  side  at  great  risk,  because  of  the  broken  char- 
acter of  the  precipices,  and  then  we  turned  to  a  northerly 
course,  and  after  going  a  league  we  turned  in  an  oblique  direc- 
tion to  the  northeast  along  a  red  stony  road  that  was  very 
hard  upon  the  horses.  We  ascended  a  low  hill,  and  pursu- 
ing our  route  for  two  and  a  half  leagues  to  the  northeast,  we 
descended  to  a  river  bed  in  which  we  found  water  in  places ;. 
and  although  it  was  of  a  saline  nature,  was  drinkable.  There 
was  pasturage  for  the  animals,  and  we  pitched  our  camp,, 
calling  it  San  Diego.      Today,  four  leagues  and  a  half. 

The  place  where  we  stopped  to-day  is  about  three  leagues 
in  direct  line  from  San  Benito  Salsipuedes,  to  the  northeast, 
close  to  a  large  number  of  gorges,  mesas,  and  mountain  peaks 
of  a  red  color ;  the  whole  resembling  at  first  sight  the  ruins  of 
a  fortress. 

November  the  3d. 

We  left  San  Diego,  and  pursued  our  course  to  the  east- 
southeast,  and  when  we  had  journeyed  two  leagues  we  ar- 
rived for  the  second  time  at  the  river,  that  is  to  say,  on  the; 
edge  of  the  canon,  with  its  great  bank  and  sides,  from  which 
the  descent  to  the  river  is  very  long,  very  high,  very  precipit- 
ous and  rocky,  and  with  such  bad  shelves  of  rock,  that  two  of 
the  beasts  of  burden  which  went  down  first  were  unable  to  re- 
turn, although  the  packs  had  been  removed  from  their  saddles. 
We  had  not  been  advised  about  this  cliff  by  those  who  had  gone 
to  reconnoitre,  and  we  now  discovered  that  they  not  only  had 
not  found  the  river  crossing,  but  had  not  in  the  several  days 
they  were  absent  from  us,  made  an  examination  of  even  so 
small  a  portion  of  the  territory,  since  they  had  spent  their 


x*^A 


1/ 


1/ 


l****\f\ 


222  THE   CATHOLIC   CHUKCH    IN   UTAH 

time  in  looking  for  the  Indians  who  inhabit  these  regions,  and 
they  had  accomplished  nothing.  The  river  was  very  deep, 
although  not  quite  so  much  so  as  in  Salsipuedes;  but  for  a 
long  distance  it  was  necessary  that  the  horses  should  swim. 
Fortunately  they  did  not  sink  into  the  mire  either  on  enter- 
ing the  water  or  coming  out  of  it. 

Our  companions  urged  us  to  go  farther  down  the  river;)  OW 
but  not  seeing  on  the  opposite  shore  any  trail  or  way  by  which 
we  might  proceed  if  we  crossed  the  river,  except  a  lofty  and 
narrow  canon  widening  from  a  smaller  one  which  enters  it 
at  this  point,  and  not  knowing  whether  this  one  was  or  was 
not  f ordable,  we  feared  that  if  we  crossed  the  river  we  should 
be  obliged  to  return,  which  would  be  exceedingly  difficult  in 
the  face  of  this  cliff.  In  order  not  to  expose  ourselves  to  such 
a  result,  we  stopped  up  stream,"  and  directed  the  half-breed,  ^v-^ 
Juan  Domingo,  to  reconnoitre  and  see  if  the  canon  I  have  men- 
tioned had  any  outlet ;  and  that  if  he  did  not  find  any  during 
the  afternoon,  to  return,  and  we  would  continue  our  journey 
up  the  river  on  this  side  until  we  found  the  crossing  and  the 
trail  of  the  Indians.  We  sent  him  off  on  foot,  but  Lucrecio 
Muftiz  told  us  that  if  we  would  grant  him  permission,  he 
would  acompany  him  on  a  bareback  horse,  and  take  with  him 
the  materials  necessary  to  build  a  fire  and  raise  a  smoke,  in 
case  they  found  an  outlet;  and  then  we  might  go_on  down 
upon  seeing  that  signal,  so  there  would  be  less  delay.  We^toTd 
him  to  go,  but  directed  him  to  return  that  afternoon,  whether 
he  found  an  outlet  or  not.  They  did  not  come  back,  and  we 
passed  the  night  here,  not  bein«:  able  to  water  the  horses,  al- 
though we  were  close  to  the  river.  We  named  the  place  the 
Crossing  Place  of  the  Cosninas,  or  San  Carlos.  Today,  two 
leagues  to  the  south-southeast. 

November  the  4th. 

Day  broke  without  our  seeing  anything  of  the  two  men 
we  sent  the  day  before  to  look  for  a  passage  out.  The  horse- 
flesh was  all  consumed,  we  had  had  nothing  to  eat,  and  we 
broke  our  fast  with  a  few  toasted  cactus  leaves  and  a  por- 
ridge made  of  some  little  fruit  that  was  brought  up  from  the 


0 


THE   CATHOLIC    CHUECH   IN   UTAH  223 

edge  of  the  river.  This  stuff  does  not  taste  bad  taken  by 
itself,  but  when  it  is  ground  and  boiled  in  water,  as  we  had  it 
today,  it  is  very  insipid.  As  we  saw  the  hour  growing  late, 
and  our  two  companions  not  putting  in  an  appearance,  we 
ordered  an  attempt  should  be  made  to  get  the  animals  down 
to  the  river,  and  that  once  there  they  should  kill  another 
horse.  It  was  with  great  difficulty  that  this  was  accom- 
plished, some  of  the  horses  receiving  severe  bruises  from  roll- 
ing quite  a  distance  down  the  rocky  bluff.  A  little  before 
nightfall  the  half-breed,  Juan  Domingo,  returned,  saying  that 
no  outlet  had  been  found,  and  that  his  companion,  having  left 
his  horse  in  the  canon,  had  followed  the  fresh  tracks  left  by 
Indians.  On  learning  this,  we  determined  to  go  on  up  the 
river  until  we  found  a  place  to  cross  and  a  trail  on  which  to 
travel  on  one  side  of  the  river  or  the  other. 

November  the  5th. 

We  left  San  Carlos,  although  Lucrecio  had  not  turned  up, 
his  brother  Andres  remaining  behind  with  orders  to  await 
him  only  until  the  afternoon,  and  to  endeavor  to  join  us  that 
night.  We  followed  along  the  western  bank  over  many  ra- 
vines and  gorges,  a  league  and  a  half  to  the  north.  We  de- 
scended into  a  dry  ravine,  and  into  a  deep  canon,  where  we 
found  much  copperas.  We  came  across  a  trail  not  much  trav- 
eled, and  followed  it.  By  means  of  it  we  emerged  from  the 
canon,  passing  along  a  shelf  of  white  and  difficult  rock,  but 
which  afforded  a  road  that  could  be  easily  improved.  We 
pushed  ahead,  and  after  a  journey  of  a  league  and  a  quar- 
ter to  the  north-northeast  we  found  water,  although  only  a 
small  quantity,  and  sufficient  pasturage;  as  the  night  was 
drawing  on,  we  camped  near  a  lofty  mesa,  calling  the  place 
Santa  Francisca  Eomana.     Today,  three  short  leagues. 

Last  night  it  rained  hard,  and  in  some  places  it  snowed. 
The  day  broke  with  a  rain-fall,  which  continued  for  some 
hours.  At  about  six  o'clock  in  the  morning,  Andres  Muniz 
arrived,  saying  that  his  brother  had  not  put  in  an  appear- 
ance. This  news  caused  us  great  concern,  as  the  absent  man 
had  gone  now  three  days  without  anything  to  eat,  and  with 


224  THE   CATHOLIC   CHURCH   IN    UTAH 

no  other  covering  than  his  tunic,  for  he  did  not  wear  trous- 
ers. Andres  crossed  the  river,  swimming  his  horse  a  long 
distance,  and  in  the  place  where  he  had  become  weary  the 
water  reached  to  his  shoulders.  As  the  half-breed  resolved 
to  hunt  for  him  by  following  the  track  from  the  spot  where  he 
had  last  seen  him,  we  sent  him  off,  giving  him  a  supply  of 
horse-flesh,  and  told  him  that  if  the  horse  he  rode  could  not 
get  out  of  the  canon,  he  was  to  abandon  it  and  continue  his 
way  on  foot,  and  that  if  he  found  him  on  the  other  bank  he 
was  to  come  back  and  follow  our  tracks,  and  endeavor  to  re- 
join us  as  soon  as  possible. 

November  the  6th. 

The  rain  having  ceased,  we  departed  from  Santa  Fran- 
cisca,  taking  a  northeasterly  direction,  and  after  proceeding 
for  three  leagues,  we  were  detained  some  time  by  a  fierce 
storm  of  rain  and  hail  that  burst  upon  us,  accompanied  by 
fearful  blasts  of  thunder  and  flashes  of  lightning.  We  re- 
cited the  Litany  of  the  Blesed  Virgin,  that  she  might  beg 
for  us  some  relief,  and  Clod  was  pleased  to  cause  the  tempest 
to  cease.  We  continued  our  journey  a  half  league  to  the  east, 
and  stopped  near  the  river,  as  the  rain  continued  to  pour 
down,  and  a  number  of  rocky  bluffs  impeded  our  progress. 
We  named  the  place  San  Vicente  Ferrer.  Today,  three 
leagues  and  a  half. 

Don  Juan  Pedro  Cisneros  went  to  see  if  the  crossing  was 
anywhere  in  this  vicinity,  and  he  returned  to  tell  us  that  the 
river  was  very  wide  at  this  point,  and  that  it  did  not  seem  to 
be  very  deep,  judging  from  the  current,  but  that  only  through 
a  canon  that  was  close  by  could  we  hope  to  reach  it.  We 
sent  two  others  to  make  an  examination  of  the  canon  and  to 
ford  the  river:  they  returned  and  said  that  they  found  both 
very  difficult.  We  did  not  give  much  credit  to  the  reports 
they  brought  us,  and  determined  to  look  it  over  for  ourselves 
on  the  following  day  in  company  with  Don  Juan  Pedro  Cis- 
neros. Before  night  closed  in  the  half-breed  arrived,  bring- 
ing his  brother  Lucrecio. 

November  the  7th. 


THE    CATHOLIC   CHURCH   IN   UTAH  225 

We  went  very  early  to  make  an  inspection  of  the  canon 
and  the  ford,  taking  along  the  two  half-breeds,  Felipe  and 
Juan  Domingo,  to  see  if  they  could  ford  the  river  on  foot,, 
as  they  were  good  swimmers.  In  order  that  we  might  get  the 
horses  down  the  side  of  the  canon  I  have  mentioned,  we  found 
it  necessary  to  cut  steps  with  our  hatchets  in  the  rock  of  the 
mountain  for  a  distance  of  about  three  yards,  or  a  little  less. 
The  rest  of  the  way  the  horses  were  able  to  descend,  al- 
though without  pack  or  rider.  We  got  down  into  the  canon, 
and  pursued  our  course  for  about  a  mile  until  we  came  to  the 
river,  and  we  continued  down  stream  for  a  distance  of  about 
two  gun-shots,  sometimes  walking  in  the  water,  and  some- 
times on  the  bank,  until  we  reached  what  seemed  the  widest 
part  of  the  current,  where  there  might  be  a  ford.  One  of  our 
people  entered,  and  found  a  foothold,  without  being  obliged 
to  swim  at  any  point. 

The  rest  of  us  followed  him  on  horseback,  going  a  little 
farther  down  the  river.  When  halfway  across  two  of  the 
horses  that  were  in  advance  lost  their  footing  and  were  car- 
ried into  a  narrow  channel.  We  stopped,  although  at  some 
risk,  until  the  first  man  who  had  crossed  could  return  from 
the  farthest  shore  to  lead  and  take  us  over  with  safety,  with- 
out our  horses  having  to  swim.  We  sent  word  to  our  compan- 
ions who  had  remained  in  San  Vicente  that  they  should  lower 
the  baggage  and  saddles  from  the  bluff  with  ropes  and  thongs, 
down  to  the  vicinity  of  the  ford,  and  to  lead  the  horses  down 
the  trail  we  ourselves  had  come.  They  did  so,  and  at  about 
five  o'clock  in  the  afternoon  we  all  accomplished  the  passage 
of  the  river,  praising  the  Lord  our  God,  and  firing  off  a  num- 
ber of  musket-shots  to  show  the  joy  we  felt  on  having  tri- 
umphed over  so  great  an  obstacle,  that  had  cost  us  so  much 
labor  and  long  delay;  although  the  principal  cause  of  our 
having  to  suffer  so  much  since  we  entered  the  land  of  the  Pa- 
rusis,  was  because  we  had  no  guide  who  could  show  us  the 
way  through  this  difficult  country,  and  we  wandered  about  a 
good  deal  owing  to  our  having  no  experienced  person  to  lead 
us. 


226  THE   CATHOLIC   CHURCH   IN   UTAH 

After  remaining  so  many  days  in  so  small  a  place,  and 
after  suffering  hunger  and  thirst,  and  now  after  enduring  all 
this,  we  found  out  at  last  the  best  and  shortest  road  where 
the  watering  places  were,  with  only  short  distances  between, 
and  we  ascertained  other  facts,  which  bore  upon  our  journey, 
especially  since  we  left  the  southern  trail  on  the  day  we  set 
out  from  San  Donulo  or  the  Eavine  of  the  Taray.  For 
from  this  point  we  should  have  gone  to  the  good  water- 
ing-place which  is  found  on  the  next  plain;  from  this 
place  we  might  have  easily  reached  another  spot  where 
there  is  water,  which  is  about  three  leagues  north- 
east of  San  Angel;  from  this  point  on  to  Saint  Gertrude's, 
we  might  have  journeyed  three  leagues  and  have 
camped  in  the  same  ravine  where  there  is  plenty  of  pas- 
turage and  water,  and  could  have  come  ahead  as  far  as 
possible  in  the  afternoon  towards  the  northeast,  and  would 
have  arrived  next  day,  following  the  same  route,  and  leaving 
entirely  to  one  side  the  mountain  near  the  river  Santa  Teresa, 
three  or  four  leagues  to  the  north  of  San  Juan  Capistrano. 
From  this  river  to  San  Diego,  in  a  south-southeasterly  direc- 
tion, and  from  this  place  to  the  ford,  we  could  have  gone 
without  any  special  difficulty,  avoiding  many  turns,  hills  and 
bad  roads.  But  it  was  without  doubt  the  will  of  God  that  we 
were  unable  to  secure  a  guide,  partly  in  order  to  punish  us 
for  our  sins,  and  partly  that  we  might  gain  some  knowledge 
of  the  people  who  inhabit  this  country.  May  His  holy  will 
be  done,  and  His  name  be  glorified ! 

The  ford  of  this  river  is  very  good ;  it  is  a  little  more  than 
a  mile  wide  at  this  point,  and  the  rivers  Navajo  and  Dolores 
flow  into  it  here,  as  do  all  the  other  rivers  mentioned  in  this 
journal.  And  in  all  that  we  have  seen  of  this  river,  there 
can  be  no  town  built  upon  its  banks,  nor  can  one  journey 
along  its  banks  either  up  or  down  the  river,  for  any  great 
distance,  with  the  hope  that  its  waters  can  minister  to  the 
wants  of  either  man  or  beast;  because,  in  addition  to  the 
broken  nature  of  the  country,  the  river  is  shut  in  between 
lofty  walls.    The  vicinity  of  the  ford  is  made  up  of  immense 


THE   CATHOLIC   CHURCH   IN    UTAH  227 

boulders  and  lofty  peaks.  Eight  or  ten  leagues  away  to  the 
northeast  is  a  small,  round  and  high  mountain  which  the 
Payuchis,  who  begin  here,  call  Tucane,  which  means  Black 
Hill,  and  is  the  only  one  that  from  this  point  is  seen  close  to 
the  ford  of  the  river. 

On  the  eastern  bank  of  this  same  ford  which  we  called 
the  Holy  Conception  of  the  Virgin  Mary,  there  is  a  field  of 
moderate  size  containing  good  pasturage.  Here  we  passed  the 
night,  and  we  took  an  observation  of  the  polar  star  showing 
its  latitude  to  be  36  degrees  55  minutes. 

A  Brief  Notice  of  the  People  With  Whom  We  Had  Dealings 
Between  the  Valley  of  St.  Joseph,  Inclusive,  to  the  Cross- 
ing of  the  Great  River  of  Cosnina. 

In  this  country,  through  which  we  traveled  a  hundred  long 
leagues  from  the  numerous  turns  we  made,  having  a  length 
from  north  to  south  of  sixty  leagues,  and  from  east  to  west 
forty  Spanish  leagues,  there  dwell  many  people,  all  of  them 
of  agreeable  aspect,  very  affable,  and  extremely  timid.  For 
this  reason,  and  because  all  those  whom  we  met  spoke  the  Yuta 
language,  the  same  as  do  the  Payutas  farther  west,  we  called 
all  the  people  I  have  spoken  of  Yutas  Cobardes  (Coward 
Utes).  The  particular  names  refer  to  the  parts  of  the  coun- 
try they  inhabit  and  divide  them  off  into  provinces  or  terri- 
tories and  not  into  nations;  as  all  the  Yutas  compose  the  same 
nation,  or  we  might  say  it  is  a  nation  divided  into  five  pro- 
vinces, of  which  the  whole  is  known  solely  as  Yutas;  the  divis- 
ions being  the  Muhuachis  Yutas,  the  Payuchis  Yutas,  the  Ta- 
behuachis  Yutas  and  the  Sabuaganas  Yutas.  And  the  Cow- 
ard Utes  are  divided  into  Huascaris,  who  dwell  in  the  valley 
of  San  Jose  and  its  vicinity;  the  Parusis,  who  join  them  on 
the  south  and  southwest,  and  inhabit  the  banks  and  vicinity 
of  the  little  river  of  Our  Lady  of  the  Pillar,  and  are  the  only 
ones  among  all  these  people  whom  we  found  engaged  in  the 
cultivation  of  corn ;  the  Yubuincariris  dwell  south  of  the  Paru- 
sis, and  are  found  in  the  region  closest  to  the  Great  River; 


228  THE   CATHOLIC    CHURCH   IN   UTAH 

the  Ytinipabicliis  occupy  the  table-lands  and  mountain 
heights,  and  are  nearer  the  country  of  Santa  Barbara  on  the 
north;  and  the  Pagambachis,  who  likewise  dwell  on  the  hard 
soil  of  the  mesas  and  in  sterile  ravines;  for  although  they 
have  a  spacious  valley,  through  which  flows  the  Great  River, 
they  cannot,  as  we  have  already  said,  make  use  of  its  waters 
for  the  irrigation  of  their  lands.  According  to  what  was  told 
us  by  the  Yubuincariris,  to  the  south-southwest  from  them, 
down  the  river,  there  dwell  others  whom  they  call  Payatam- 
munis.  On  the  west  and  west-northwest  of  the  Huascaris,  we 
learned  that  there  dwelt  other  tribes  who  spoke  their  dialect. 
All  the  others,  and  they  are  numerous,  who  dwell  upon  the 
western  or  northern,  bank  of  the  river  up-stream  and  along  the 
ridge  of  mountains  which  start  from  the  Lagunas,  and  in  the 
country  that  lies  between  it  and  the  farthest  rivers  on  the 
north  that  we  crossed  before  they  united  with  each  other, 
are,  according  to  the  information  we  received,  of  this  same 
nation  of  Indians,  and  belong,  some  to  the  Yutas  Barbones 
(Bearded  Yutas),  some  to  the  Huascaris  and  others  to  the 
Lagunas,  depending  upon  the  resemblance  of  their  dialect  to 
the  language  of  the  nearest  tribe  to  them. 

November  the  8th. 

We  left  the  crossing-place  and  camp  of  La  Concepcion 
and  ascended  the  box-like  side  of  the  bank,  traveling  along 
an  extended  precipice  without  any  serious  trouble.  We 
turned  to  the  south-southwest,  following  a  well-trodden  trail, 
and  traveled  for  five  leagues  over  a  saudy  and  rough  road. 
We  now  turned  to  the  east  a  league  and  pitched  our  camp 
near  the  last  mountain  of  the  range  which  extends  from  the 
river  to  this  point,  calling  the  place  San  Miguel.  Here  we 
found  plenty  of  grass  and  an  abundance  of  rainwater.  To- 
day, six  leagues. 

Today  we  discovered  traces  of  the  presence  of  Indians 
in  the  neighborhood,  but  we  did  not  see  any  of  them.  There 
abound  many  wild  sheep,  the  tracks  showing  that  they  roam 
about  in  large  flocks,  as  though  they  were  tame.  They  are 
larger  in  size  than  the  domestic  ones,  are  of  the  same  ap- 


THE    CATHOLIC    CHURCH   IN   UTAH  229 

pearance,  but  much  swifter  in  movement.  Today  we  finished 
eating  the  horse-flesh  we  had  brought,  and  ordered  another 
horse  killed.  We  felt  the  cold  last  night  much  more  than  we 
had  done  when  on  the  other  road. 

November  the  9th. 

We  lost  our  way,  not  being  able  to  discover  any  trail  by 
which  we  might  descend  into  a  canon  that  lay  near  us  to  the 
southwest,  nor  by  which  we  could  go  more  than  a  half  league 
over  the  stony  summits  and  ridges  that  blocked  our  progress ; 
for  this  reason  we  directed  our  steps  to  the  east-northeast, 
and  after  having  pursued  our  way  in  this  direction  for  a 
couple  of  leagues,  over  very  bad  ground,  we  were  compelled 
to  stop  upon  the  top  of  a  table-land,  without  being  able  to 
take  another  step  in  advance.  Near  to  this  mesa  we  came 
close  to  several  villages  of  Yutas-Payuchis,  bordering  upon 
the  territory  of  the  Cosninas,  and  friendly  to  them.  We  made 
several  attempts  through  the  influence  of  the  Laguna  and 
others  of  our  party  to  induce  those  people  to  visit  us.  Either 
because  they  suspected  that  we  were  friends  of  the  Moquinas, 
with  whom  they  were  at  enmity,  or  because  they  had  never 
seen  Spaniards,  and  were  afraid  of  us,  we  could  not  prevail 
upon  them  to  draw  near. 

November  the  10th. 

This  morning  the  two  of  us  went  very  early  with  the  in- 
terpreter and  the  Laguna  to  their  villages.  It  was  impossible 
for  us  to  reach  them,  even  on  foot.  We  sent  forward  the 
two  I  have  mentioned,  remaining  ourselves  upon  an  elevation 
from  which  we  could  see  them  and  be  seen  by  them,  so  that 
when  they  saw  how  few  we  were  they  would  come  to  us  with 
less  diffidence  and  fear.  After  the  interpreter  had  urged 
them  for  more  than  two  hours,  five  of  them  finally  came,  but 
when  they  drew  near  to  us  they  turned  and  fled,  without  our 
being  able  to  detain  them.  The  interpreter  again  went  to 
them,  to  find  out  if  they  would  sell  us  something  to  eat,  but 
they  replied  that  they  did  not  have  anything.  They  told  the 
interpreter  that  the  Cosninas  lived  near  by,  but  that  at  pres- 
ent they  were  off    in  the    mountains    gathering    pine    nuts. 


230  THE   CATHOLIC    CHURCH   IN   UTAH 

They  said  that  at  a  short  distance  from  this  place  we 
would  come  upon  two  roads,  one  leading  to  the  Cosninas  and 
the  other  to  the  town  of  the  Oraybi,  in  Moqui  land.  They 
also  described  to  us  the  trail  that  we  had  missed,  telling  us 
that  we  would  be  compelled  to  retrace  our  steps  to  San  Mig- 
uel, and  from  that  point  descend  to  the  canon.  It  was  in  this 
way  that  we  wasted  nearly  the  entire  day,  and  in  what  was 
left  of  it  we  returned  to  San  Miguel,  getting  a  half  league 
nearer  to  the  ravine  or  canon  to  which  we  had  not  been  able 
to  go  before.    Today,  a  half  league  to  the  southeast. 

November  the  11th. 

Early  in  the  morning  we  found  the  descent  into  the  canon, 
recovered  the  trail  we  had  lost,  and  went  forward  upon  our 
journey.  We  reached  the  bottom  of  the  canon  with  great 
difficulty,  because  a  part  of  the  trail  is  exceedingly  danger- 
ous, and  all  of  it  is  along  precipices.  The  Indians  have  re- 
paired it  somewhat  with  loose  stones  and  stakes  driven  into 
the  earth;  and  in  the  lowest  part  they  have  made  a  ladder 
of  some  three  yards  in  length  and  two  in  breadth.  Here  two 
streams  come  together  that  enter  into  the  large  enclosure 
around  San  Carlos.  We  ascended  the  opposite  bank  along  a 
ridge  of  rocks  and  boulders,  which  we  found  between  the  two 
streams,  making  many  turns  in  our  travels,  and  surmounting 
rocky  precipices,  where  a  way  could  be  opened  only  by  the 
use  of  a  crowbar.  We  reached  the  summit  about  midday, 
having  traveled  in  our  ascents  and  descents  two  leagues  in 
an  east-southeast  direction.  There  are,  in  a  northeasterly 
direction  from  here,  twTo  small  mountains.  From  the  lowest 
of  these  we  descended  to  the  southeast,  and  having  gone  three 
leagues  over  good  ground,  we  stopped,  although  in  a  place 
without  water,  because  we  found  good  pasturage  for  the  ani- 
mals, and  sufficient  fuel  to  keep  us  warm,  for  we  were  suffer- 
ing from  the  cold.  We  called  our  camp  San  Proto.  Toda>, 
five  leagues. 

November  the  12th. 

We  left  San  Proto,  taking  a  south-southeast  direction. 
We  traveled  now  upon  an  open  road  and  on  good  soil,  three 


THE    CATHOLIC   CHURCH   IN    UTAH  231 

leagues,  and  on  the  way  discovered  a  small  spring  of  good 
water,  and  after  breaking  the  ice  the  entire  party,  including 
the  animals,  quenched  their  thirst.  This  place,  as  the  tracks 
about  here  show,  is  a  spot  where  the  Cosninas  pitch  their 
camp  when  they  are  out  after  the  Payuchis.  We  continued 
our  way  along  the  same  road  towards  the  south,  suffering 
from  the  extreme  cold,  and  having  traveled  some  four  leagues 
over  a  good  road,  we  turned  aside  from  the  highway  to  take 
the  trail  leading  to  the  Moquis,  according  to  the  description 
that  had  been  given  us  by  the  Payuchis ;  we  followed  the  one 
most  used  by  the  Cosninas,  in  a  south-southwest  direction,, 
and  having  proceeded  a  league,  we  came  upon  a  number  of 
deserted  villages,  with  traces  of  much  time  having  been  spent 
here  in  pasturing  horses  and  cattle.  We  kept  forward  upon 
the  same  road,  and  after  having  gone  a  league  and  a  half 
to  the  southwest,  night  overtook  us,  and  we  camped  without 
any  water,  calling  the  place  San  Jacinto.  Today,  nine  and 
a  half  leagues. 

On  account  of  the  great  cold,  we  stopped  here  awhile,  our 
companions  going  ahead,  for  the  purpose  of  building  a  fire 
and  to  relieve  the  suffering  of  Don  Bernardo  Miera,  who  was; 
in  danger  of  freezing;  and  we  were  greatly  in  fear  that  he- 
could  not  withstand  the  cold.  For  this  reason  our  compan- 
ions reached  the  spring  before  we  did,  and,  before  we  could 
catch  up  with  them,  they  had  gone  ahead  without  filling  the 
vessels  we  had  given  them,  with  water,  and  which  they  had 
brought  for  that  purpose.  Because  of  this  oversight,  we 
suffered  greatly  that  night  from  thirst. 

November  the  13th. 

We  left  San  Jacinto,  bending  cur  course  in  a  southwest- 
erly direction  along  the  same  road,  over  easy  mountains 
where  we  found  plenty  of  pasture,  and  after  having  covered 
two  leagues,  we  descended  towards  the  south  a  league  and  a 
half,  and  found,  in  a  rocky  hill,  sufficient  water  for  all  our 
people,  and  almost  enough  for  the  animals.  We  continued 
our  course  straight  ahead  towards  the  south  some  two  leagues 
over  a  sandy  stretch  of  country,  and  then  went  about  half  a 


232  THE    CATHOLIC    CHURCH   IN    UTAH 

league  to  the  southeast,  and  stopped  about  a  league  beyond, 
where  we  found  a  well  of  poor  water.  We  called  the  place 
Espino  (Spine),  because  we  ate  here  a  porcupine,  whose  flesh 
seemed  to  us  very  delightful.  Since  the  day  before  we  had 
eaten  nothing  but  a  piece  of  roasted  leather,  and  we  arrived 
here  suffering  from  hunger.  Naturally  the  porcupine,  dis- 
tributed among  so  many  of  us,  only  whetted  our  appetites, 
and  so  we  ordered  another  horse  killed.  We  had  not  given 
this  order  sooner  because  we  entertained  a  hope  that  we 
might  obtain  rations  in  some  one  of  the  Cosnina  villages,  but 
we  found  no  traces  of  their  having  been  recently  in  these 
parts.     Today,  six  leagues:. 

November  the  14th. 

We  went  out  of  Espino  in  a  south-southeasterly  direction, 
and  after  we  had  gone  a  little  less  than  a  league,  we  came 
to  a  large  pool  of  water  near  the  road,  from  which  the 
animals  drank  very  freely  and  with  great  satisfaction.  W"e 
continued  our  journey  to  the  southeast,  and  entered  a  canon 
in  which  we  passed  over  a  distance  of  three-quarters  of  a 
league,  and  entered  another  canon  in  which  we  found  three 
springs  of  good  water.  We  followed  its  course  for  a  half- 
league  to  the  southeast ;  we  arrived  at  some  cultivated  ground 
and  a  village  of  the  Cosninas,  very  beautiful,  and  every- 
thing in  good  order.  These  fields  are  irrigated  from  the 
four  springs  referred  to  and  from  two  other  very  abund- 
ant ones  that  are  found  near  by;  in  this  piece  of  land 
the  Cosninas  had  planted  corn,  beans,  squashes,  watermelons 
and  muskmelons. 

When  we  arrived,  they  had  gathered  in  their  crops;  and 
from  the  remnants  that  we  found  about  the  place,  we  judge 
the  crops  were  abundant,  especially  of  beans;  for  if  we  had 
cared  to  stop  here,  we  might  have  gathered  up  a  bushel.  The 
field  is  surrounded  by  a  hedge  of  peach  trees.  Besides  a  num- 
ber of  wigwams  constructed  of  reeds,  there  was  one  little 
house  built  of  stone  and  mud.  In  this  hut  we  saw  the  pots 
and  jars  used  by  these  Indians;  but  the  people  themselves, 
judging  by  what  we  saw,  must  have  been  absent  for  several 


THE    CATHOLIC    CHUKCH   IN   UTAH  233 

days,  perhaps  in  search  of  pine  nuts  in  the  adjacent  moun- 
tain, which  lay  to  the  south-southwest.  From  this  little 
farm,  paths  led  off  in  various  directions,  and  we  were 
ignorant  as  to  which  one  we  should  follow  in  order  to  reach 
the  Moquis;  for  we  could  no  longer  continue  our  iourney  in 
search  of  the  Cosninas,  owing  to  our  need  of  provisions,  and 
because  the  winter  was  upon  us  in  great  severity.  We  chose  a 
road  that  led  to  the  southeast,  and  traveled  over  level  coun- 
try, and  passed  several  pools  of  good  water  in  a  distance  of 
some  two  leagues. 

We  crossed  a  small  river  that  flows  from  northeast  to 
southwest,  in  appearance  very  much  like  an  irrigating  ditch. 
There  was  a  small  grove  and  fields  of  moderate  size,  not  very 
well  enclosed,  along  the  side  that  we  passed.  After  leaving 
the  river,  we  ascended  a  plain  on  which  we  found  a  small  lake, 
and  a  number  of  hollows  which  hold  rain  water  and  serve 
as  watering  places  and  bathing  pools  for  the  cows,  which  we 
now  began  to  see  in  numerous  herds,  belonging  to  the  Mo- 
quis. We  continued  our  way  along  the  mesa  two  and  a  half 
leagues  to  the  south-southeast;  climbed  a  lofty  hill,  and  as 
the  night  was  drawing  on,  and  there  was  pasturage  for  the 
animals,  we  stopped,  naming  the  place  Summit  of  the  Plains, 
because  from  this  point  vast  fields  and  pastures  began  to 
extend,  without  table-lands,  mountains  nor  ranges,  but  cov- 
ered with  grass,  and  which  reach  on  the  southeast  to  a  point 
beyond  Moqui.     Today,  six  leagues  and  a  quarter. 

November  the  15th. 

We  went  forth  from  the  Summit  of  the  Plains  to  the  south- 
southeast,  and  traveled  in  that  direction  for  nine  leagues 
without  finding  water,  not  daring  to  lose  ourselves  in  the 
search  of  it.  We  found  a  quantity  at  last  in  a  valley  where 
there  grew  chamiso,  of  the  kind  known  as  "little  chamiso. " 
We  camped  in  the  place,  calling  it  the  Chizo  Canon.  Today, 
nine  leagues  to  the  south-southeast. 

We  had  nothing  for  our  supper  to-night,  since  the  horse- 
flesh was  not  enough  for  the  entire  party.  There  were  many 
herds  of  cattle  roaming  about,  and  some  of  our  party  were 


2o4  THE   CATHOLIC    CHURCH   IN    UTAH 

anxious  to  kill  a  cow  or  calf ;  they  begged  with  insistence  that 
we  should  give  them  permission  to  relieve  in  this  way  the 
hunger  which  pressed  upon  us  all.  But  we,  believing  that  we 
were  now  near  to  the  town  of  Oraybi,  and  that  such  an  act 
as  the  killing  of  one  of  their  herd  might  raise  some  trouble 
with  the  Moquis,  and  might  frustrate  our  design,  which  was 
to  bring  to  these  people  the  light  and  sweetness  of  the  Gos- 
pel against  their  voluntary  blindness  and  inveterate  obstin- 
acy, ordered  that  another  horse  should  be  killed,  and  that  no 
one  should  go  near  the  herds  of  cattle,  even  though  we  were 
assured  that  these  herds  were  running  as  common  property. 

November  the  16th. 

We  left  Chizo  Canon,  going  to  the  south-southeast  three 
leagues,  and  near  to  a  lofty  mesa  we  descended  to  the 
east-northeast  a  quarter  of  a  league.  We  found  here  a  well- 
beaten  road,  and  came  to  the  conclusion  that  it  would  lead 
us  to  some  one  of  the  Moqui  villages.  We  followed  it,  and 
journeyed  over  level  country  three  leagues  to  the  northeast, 
and  nearly  two  leagues  to  the  north,  which  brought  us  to 
the  mesa  of  the  town  of  Oraybi.  We  ordered  the  members  of 
the  company  to  come  to  a  halt  at  the  foot  of  the  mesa,  and 
that  no  one,  with  the  exception  of  those  who  were  to  accom- 
pany us,  should  pass  on  to  the  town  until  we  had  directed 
them  to  do  so.  We  climbed  to  the  summit  of  the  table-land 
without  any  difficulty. 

On  entering  the  town,  we  were  surrounded  by  a  great 
number  of  Indians,  large  and  small.  We  asked  to  see  the 
chief  men  and  warriors,  in  a  language  which  they  did  not  un- 
derstand, and,  wishing  to  pass  to  the  house  of  the  chief,  they 
detained  us.  One  of  them  told  us  in  the  Navajo  language  that 
we  must  not  enter  into  the  town.  Then  Don  Juan  Pedro  Cis- 
neros  in  a  very  earnest  way,  asked  them  in  the  same  tongue 
if  they  were  not  our  friends?  With  this  they  became  satis- 
fied, and  one  of  the  old  men  led  us  to  his  house  and  made  us 
his  guests,  giving  to  us  a  room  in  which  to  pass  the  night, 
and  furnishing  us  with  such  food  as  they  themselves  used. 
Today,  seven  leagues. 


THE   CATHOLIC    CHURCH   IN    UTAH  235 

At  night  there  came  to  us  the  chief  and  two  old  men,  and 
after  they  had  assured  us  that  they  were  our  friends,  they 
offered  to  sell  us  whatever  food  we  were  in  need  of,  on  which 
we  expressed  our  very  great  thanks. 

November  the  17th. 

Very  early  in  the  morning  they  brought  to  our  lodging 
several  jars  or  basins  filled  with  flour,  butter,  guavas,  and 
other  kinds  of  provisions.  We  purchased  of  them  for  the 
present  what  we  required;  but  the  things  which  we  most 
needed  they  brought  in  small  quantities.  Having  no  inter- 
preter, we  were  not  able  to  effect  a  reduction  in  the  price  as 
we  would  have  desired  to  do.  We  succeeded  in  getting  them 
to  understand  a  little,  especially  the  chief  and  our  host  and 
benefactor.  They  listened  attentively,  but  made  no  other  dec- 
laration than  that  they  wished  to  retain  the  friendship  of  the 
Spaniards.  The  chief  told  us  that  he  had  already  sent  word 
to  the  other  towns  that  they  should  provide  us  with  lodging 
and  sell  to  us  whatever  provisions  we  might  need  until  we  ar- 
rived at  Zuni.  We  gave  them  to  understand  that  we  greatly 
appreciated  this  favor,  as  well  as  the  others  that  we  had  re- 
ceived from  them,  and  after  midday  we  departed  from 
Oraybi,  and  took  our  way  towards  the  town  of  Xongopabi; 
after  a  journey  of  nearly  two  leagues  and  a  quarter  to  the 
southwest,  we  arrived  at  our  destination  after  sunset,  and 
were  kindly  received  by  the  people,  who  immediately  gave  us 
lodging.    Today,  two  leagues  and  a  quarter  to  the  southeast. 

November  the  18th. 

The  principal  Indians  of  this  town  and  of  others  round 
about,  and  of  the  towns  of  Xipaolabi  and  Mossonganabi, being 
assembled  here,  we  preached  to  them,  after  having  expressed 
our  gratitude  to  them  for  the  favors  and  kind  reception  they 
had  extended  to  us,  partly  by  signs  and  partly  by  the  use  of 
the  Navajo  language.  They  replied  that  they  could  not  de- 
bate with  us  because  they  did  not  understand  Spanish,  nor 
did  we  understand  the  Moquino ;  that  we  should  continue  our 
journey  to  Gualpi,  where  there  were  some  intelligent  persons 
who  understood  Spanish,  and  that  after  telling  the  chiefs  and 


236  THE   CATHOLIC    CHURCH   IN    UTAH 

warriors  there  all  that  we  desired  of  them,  we  would  then 
learn  what  they  wished.  But  as  we  urged  them  to  give  us  a 
response  for  themselves,  in  case  they  understood  what  we  had 
said  to  them,  they  added  that  the  chief  and  warriors  of 
Oraybi  had  sent  them  word  that  they  were  to  give  lodging, 
look  after  our  wants  and  sell  us  provisions,  winning  our 
friendship,  but  not  treating  with  us  concerning  other  matters ; 
and  that  they  desired  to  be  our  friends,  but  not  Christians. 

When  they  had  concluded  this  address,  we  presented  to 
the  Indian  who  had  given  us  lodging  and  had  been  so  kind 
in  many  ways,  a  woollen  shawl  for  his  wife,  judging  that  by 
this  gift  they  would  understand  better  what  our  gratitude 
was,  and  might  feel  a  warmer  friendship  towards  us.  But  it 
did  not  turn  out  as  we  expected,  for  when  the  Indian  woman 
took  with  great  pleasure  what  we  had  given,  her  brother 
snatched  it  away  from  her  and  threw  it  towards  us  in  great 
anger.  We  concluded  that  his  evil  act  sprang  from  some  con- 
ception which  reflected  upon  our  honor  and  profession  be- 
cause we  had  innocently  bestowed  the  shawl  as  some  recom- 
pense; and  we  endeavored,  with  the  gravity  and  dignity  that 
the  occasion  demanded,  to  make  him  understand  our  true 
motives. 

Then  it  was  that  the  Indian,  desirous  of  making  some 
reparation  for  the  offence  (which  from  his  point  of  view  was 
not  great),  caused  us  still  further  confusion  than  by  his  first 
act.  Finding  that  although  we  were  many,  and  that  none 
could  understand  him,  he  pointed  to  Fray  Silvestre  and  Don 
Pedro  Cisneros,  after  the  crowd  had  dispersed,  and  said  to 
us  in  Navajo,  that  having  known  what  had  taken  place  in 
Oraybi,  when  the  said  Fathers,  Fray  Silvestre  and  Don  Juan 
Pedro,  had  been  there  in  the  summer  of  the  year  before,  and 
that  he  had  been  present  in  Gualpi  when  the  Cosnina  talked 
with  Father  Silvestre  and  gave  him  directions  about  the 
road  from  Moqui  to  the  Cosninas;  and  that  now  since  we 
had  come  by  the  same  road,  he  would  not  permit  his  brothers 
or  brothers-in-law  to  receive  the  shawl,  because  if  they  ac- 
cepted it  his  relations  and  neighbors  would  be  angry  with 


THE   CATHOLIC    CHURCH    IN    UTAH 


237 


them.  This  he  said  with  a  view  to  satisfy  us,  but  we  were  not 
able  clearly  to  understand  just  what  he  meant  by  it  all,  al- 
though it  was  not  difficult  to  understand  what  he  meant  when 
referring  to  previous  events. 

That  afternoon  we  set  out  for  Gualpi.  Having  traveled 
nine  leagues  and  more  than  four  in  an  easterly  direction,  we 
arrived  late  at  night,  our  little  party  remaining  at  the  foot  of 
a  pine-covered  hill,  while  we  climbed  to  the  summit  with  a 
few  companions.  The  Tanos  and  Gualpi  Indians  received  us 
very  cordially,  and  gave  us  lodging  in  the  house  of  the  chief 
of  the  Tanos,  where  we  passed  the  night.  Today,  two 
leagues  and  a  quarter  to  the  east. 

After  we  had  rested  for  a  while,  it  was  told  us  by  an 
apostate  Indian  of  the  town  of  Galisteo  in  New  Mexico,  a 
man  of  great  age  and  of  much  authority  among  the  Tanos 
of  Moqui,  named  Pedro,  that  they  were  having  at  present  a 
severe  war  with  the  Apache  Navajos ;  and  that  these  enemies 
had  killed  many  and  carried  away  many  of  their  people:  and 
for  this  reason  they  had  been  hoping  that  some  priests  or 
Spaniards  would  come  this  way,  in  order  that  through  them 
they  might  seek  aid  from  the  Governor,  or  some  kind  of  pro- 
tection against  their  enemies;  and  so  it  was  that  they  were 
exceedingly  well  pleased  that  we  had  come  to  visit  them; 
for  they  hoped  that  we  would  favor  and  comfort  them. 

This  seemed  to  us  a  very  propitious  occasion  in  which  to 
preach  to  them  a  knowledge  of  the  true  faith  and  make  them 
subjects  of  his  majesty,  whom  may  God  preserve.  We  replied 
to  them,  giving  them  reason  to  hope,  and  we  told  them  that 
they  should  summon  together  the  chiefs  and  warriors  of  the 
other  three  towns,  and  have  them  come  to  us  in  Gualpi ;  that 
on  the  following  day  they  should  all  be  gathered  together  in 
this  place  of  the  Tanos  to  discuss  this  matter  with  care  and 
with  due  formality.  The  old  man,  Pedro,  then  said  to  us  that 
he  wished  to  go  to  the  city  of  Santa  Fe,  to  draw  up  with  the 
Governor  in  the  name  of  the  Moqui  s  and  Tanos,  the  treaty 
of  alliance  which  they  wished,  and  to  ask  for  the  aid  that 
they  needed,  if  we  cared  to  take  him  along  with  us  in  our 


238  THE   CATHOLIC   CHURCH   IN    UTAH 

company.  We  told  him  that  we  would  gladly  take  him  along, 
and  that  we  would  interest  ourselves  in  this  affair  of  the 
Moquis  with  the  Governor,  but  that  in  order  to  do  this  it 
would  be  necessary  that  out  of  each  of  the  six  towns  some 
persons  clothed  with  authority  should  appear  before  his  Ex- 
cellency. They  agreed  that  on  the  following  day  there  should 
be  such  a  reunion,  and  that  they  would  summon  us,  and 
gather  in  a  place  warmed  for  the  occasion  when  everything 
could  be  talked  over  and  arranged. 

November  19th.  The  chief  men  of  Mossanaganabi  came, 
and  having  joined  together  with  the  chiefs  and  warriors  of 
the  towns  of  the  Gualpi  in  a  place  belonging  to  the  Tanos, 
the  apostate  Pedro  took  us  over  there,  providing  for  us  an- 
other apostate  as  interpreter,  an  Indian  of  the  town  of  Santa 
Clara,  called  Antonio  el  Cuate,  because  he  understood  and 
spoke  well  the  Spanish  language.  He  translated  our  words 
into  the  Tegua  language  and  Pedro  did  the  same  for  the 
Moquis,  so  that  all  those  present  in  the  council  might  under- 
stand what  we  said.  They  gave  us  an  account  of  what  had 
been  said  before  we  came  to  the  meeting-place,  and  that  they 
had  agreed  that  the  apostate  Pedro  should  accompany  us  to 
the  city  of  Santa  Fe,  in  order  that,  in  the  name  of  all  of  them, 
he  might  ask  aid  of  the  Governor  against  the  Apache  Nava- 
jos,  and  make  a  treaty  of  peace  with,  the  Spaniards ;  and  they 
besought  us  to  do  all  in  our  power  for  them.  We  gave  them 
answer  that  in  everything  we  would  be  in  their  favor,  be- 
cause we  loved  them  as  children  and  we  had  compassion  on 
them  because  of  their  troubles;  but  that  as  God  is  the  only 
all-Powerful  One  who  controls  and  governs  all;  so -long  as 
they  persisted  in  their  unbelief  and  did  not  cease  to  offend 
Him,  they  could  not  hope  to  become  freed  from  those 
troubles.  We  continued  then  to  talk  to  them  concerning 
eternal  punishment,  saying  that  if  they  did  not  accept  the 
Christian  religion  they  would  be  exposed  to  an  endless  suffer- 
ing in  hell.  We  enforced  our  doctrine,  illustrating  it  by  the 
afflictions  they  were  already  undergoing. 

We   told   them,   also,   that  if  they  consented   to   become 


THE    CATHOLIC    CHURCH   IN    UTAH  239 

Christians,  they  would  have  the  constant  and  sure  defense 
of  the  Spanish  arms  against  all  the  Gentile  people  who 
should  attempt  to  do  them  harm,  as  was  the  case  with  the 
Christian  Indians  of  New  Mexico;  showing  them  at  the  same 
time  the  uselessness  and  untrustworthiness  of  the  friend- 
ships and  alliances  which  they  had  several  times  formed  with 
the  Yutas  and  Navajos ;  and  after  having  said  to  them  every- 
thing that  seemed  proper  and  efficacious,  we  requested  them 
to  let  us  know  their  resolution,  whether  or  not  they  agreed 
to  do  as  we  desired;  that  we  were  disposed  to  take  their 
ambassadors  to  Santa  Fe,  and  to  favor  them  in  every  way  we 
could.  Three  times  did  we  urge  upon  them  their  duty  to 
submit  to  the  claims  of  the  Holy  Church,  attacking  and  de- 
stroying the  arguments  that  they  used  in  favor  of  not  accept- 
ing the  faith ;  but  they  stated  that  they  had  not  cared  to  do  so 
in  the  past  and  did  not  wish  to  do  so  now.  The  second  time 
we  urged  them,  they  gave  us  to  understand  that  as  there  were 
more  pagans  than  Christians,  they  desired  to  follow  the  ma- 
jority; and  that,  in  addition  to  this,  they  lived  in  a  country 
where  subjection  to  the  Spaniards  would  be  very  inconven- 
ient, since  if  they  were  converted  to  the  faith  they  would 
have  to  serve  the  Spaniards. 

Having  destroyed  the  apparent  force  of  each  one  of  their 
arguments  and  not  finding  any  excuse  for  their  opposition, 
the  members  of  the  council  spent  a  good  deal  of  time  in  dis- 
cussion, those  who  were  of  greatest  authority  speaking  first, 
and  others  following.  And  although  each  one  spoke  for  him- 
self, he  explained  his  meaning  in  the  form  of  a  dialogue,  and 
■ended  his  monologue  by  addressing  a  number  of  questions  to 
the  rest,  who  replied  affirmatively  or  negatively,  according 
to  the  character  of  the  questions.  In  these  speeches  they  dis- 
cussed the  traditions  of  their  ancestors,  and  exhorted  each 
other  to  a  close  adherence  to  the  ancient  customs,  asserting 
that  it  would  be  better  to  suffer  their  present  calamities 
rather  than  go  against  these  customs.  They  affirmed  that 
they  wanted  only  our  friendship,  and  did  not  desire  to  be- 


240  THE    CATHOLIC    CHURCH   IN    UTAH 

come  Christians,  because  their  forefathers  had  told  them, 
they  should  never  become  subject  to  the  Spaniards. 

We  endeavored  to  show  them  the  foolish  impiety  there 
was  in  such  traditions  and  advice,  but  without  any  success 
whatsoever.  Finally,  they  came  to  the  conclusion  that  Pedro 
should  not  go  to  the  city  of  Santa  Fe,  the  reason  for  which 
he  himself  gave  us  in  these  words:  "They  do  not  care  to 
Lave  me  go  to  see  the  Governor,  because  I  am  a  Christian; 
they  say  he  will  not  permit  me  to  return  to  Moqui."  He 
feared  this  much  more  than  the  others  did,  and  consequently 
we  could  not  get  him  to  put  his  first  thought  into  execution. 
The  council  having  broken  up,  we  returned  sad  and  sorrow- 
ful to  our  lodgings,  seeing  that  the  obstinacy  of  these  un- 
happy Indians  was  not  to  be  overcome.  For  this  reason  we 
determined  to  set  out  the  following  day  for  Zuiii,  before  all 
the  passes  and  roads  should  be  blocked,  as  it  was  snowing 
without  intermission.  For  this  reason  also  we  were  unable 
to  take  observations  to  find  out  the  latitude  of  these  Moqui 
towns. 

November  the  20th.  In  the  afternoon  we  set  out  from  the 
Gualpi  towns,  and  journeying  four  leagues  to  the  east  and  a 
quarter  to  the  southeast,  we  stopped  for  the  night  where 
there  was  water  in  a  place  called  Ojo  del  Cahutillo.  To-day 
four  leagues. 

November  21st.  We  left  Ojo  del  Caiiutillo,  and  turned 
our  steps  in  a  northeasterly  direction  and  traveled  three 
leagues,  and  having  gone  some  two  leagues  farther  to  the 
oast,  we  camped  a  half-league  before  reaching  a  place  called 
Estiladero  or  Ojito  del  Penasco  (Little  Spring  of  the  Eock). 
Today  seven  leagues. 

November  22d.  We  left  the  company  with  those  of  the 
animals,  which  were  weakest,  to  follow  us  leisurely  to  Zuiii, 
while  we  with  three  of  our  companions  set  out  at  greater 
.speed.  We  journeyed  nine  leagues  towards  the  east  and  a 
quarter  to  the  southeast,  reaching  a  spot  called  Cuma.  We 
rested  for  a  while,  and  then  pushed  ahead  for  another  two 


THE    CATHOLIC   CHURCH   IN   UTAH  241 

leagues  towards  the  east.  But  our  horses  were  jaded,  and 
we  were  compelled  to  stop.     Today,  eleven  leagues. 

November  23d.  We  pressed  forward,  although  it  snowed 
all  day  long,  with  violent  storms,  galloping  twelve  leagues, 
and  stopped  at  a  place  called  Kianatuna,  or  Spring  of  San 
Jose.  We  suffered  much  from  the  cold  during  the  night. 
Today,  twelve  leagues  almost  continuously  toward  the  east. 

November  24th.  So  soon  as  day  broke,  we  set  out  from 
the  Spring  of  San  Jose  in  a  south-easterly  direction,  and 
after  having  gone  something  like  two  leagues  we  stopped  for 
a  while  and  built  a  fire  by  which  to  warm  ourselves,  because 
the  cold  was  so  intense  that  we  feared  we  should  freeze  while 
in  the  valley.  We  then  went  forward  more  than  three  leagues, 
and  after  going  another  two  towards  the  east,  and  a  quarter 
towards  the  northeast,  we  paused  a  while  to  make  a  change 
of  horses  in  a  place  called,  by  the  Zuhis,  Okiappa.  We  pushed 
forward,  and  having  journeyed  five  leagues  to  the  southeast, 
we  arrived  late  at  night  with  extreme  fatigue  at  the  town 
and  mission  of  Our  Lady  of  Guadalupe  of  Zuhi.  Today, 
twelve  leagues. 

Not  feeling  strong  enough  to  continue  on  our  way  to  the 
city  of  Santa  Fe,  we  sent  word  to  the  Governor,  advising  him 
of  our  safe  arrival  at  this  mission,  with  a  brief  resume  of 
what  is  recorded  in  this  journal. 

November  26th.  In  the  afternoon  our  companions  ar- 
rived. 

For  various  reasons  we  remained  in  this  mission  until 
the  13th  day  of  December,  when  we  set  out  for  the  city  of 
Santa  Fe.  After  a  trip  of  thirty  leagues  we  reached  the 
mission  of  San  Esteban  de  Acoma  on  the  16th  of  the  same 
month. 

Then  there  came  a  heavy  fall  of  snow  that  prevented  our 
making  as  rapid  progress  as  we  desired. 

December  20th.  We  left  Acoma  for  the  mission  of  Sehor 
San  Jose  de  la  Laguna,  which  we  reached  after  a  trip  of  four 
leagues.     Today,  four  leagues. 

December  22d.     Leaving  la  Laguna  and  traveling  a  dis- 


242  THE   CATHOLIC    CHURCH  IN   UTAH 

tance  of  six  leagues  to  the  east,  we  stopped  at  a  place  called 
Alamo.    Today,  six  leagues 

December  23d.  We  left  this  place,  and,  journeying  five 
leagues  to  the  east,  we  reached  the  mission  of  San  Agustin  de 
la  Isleta.     Today,  nine  leagues. 

December  28th.  We  set  out  from  the  town  of  Isleta,  and 
having  gone  four  leagues,  we  arrived  at  the  mission  of  San 
Francisco  Xavier  de  Albuquerque.     Today,  four  leagues. 

Dec.  30th.  Leaving  this  place,  and  moving  forward  four 
leagues,  we  arrive  at  the  mission  of  Our  Lady  of  Dolores  of 
Sandia.     Today,  four  leagues. 

December  31st.  We  pressed  forward,  and  having  gone 
seven  leagues,  we  come  to  the  mission  of  San  Domingo.  To- 
day, seven  leagues. 

January  2,  1777,  we  arrived  at  the  city  of  Santa  Fe,  hav- 
ing come  from  the  mission  last  mentioned. 

January  3d.  We  offer  this  journal,  with  a  description  of 
the  regions  of  the  lakes  mentioned  in  it,  and  of  the  Laguna 
Indians.  And  that  it  may  be  known  to  be  true  and  in  accord- 
ance with  the  facts  herein  recorded,  and  with  what  we  saw 
during  our  journey,  we  place  our  signature  this  3d  day  of 
January  of  the  year  1777. 

Fray  Francisco  Atanasio  Dominguez, 
Fray  Silvestre  Velez  de  Escalante. 

Testimony  of  Spanish  Copyist. 

(Tomada  esta  copia  por  Antonio  Castillo  y  Kuiz  de  la 
Segunda  Serie  de  Documentos  para  la  Historia  de  Mexico, 
tomo  1,  paginas  375  a  558,  inclusivo.  En  esta  Biblioteca  Na- 
cional  es  Tercera  Serie,  tomo  16.) 

Copied  by  Antonio  Castillo  y  Ruiz  from  the  Second  Se- 
ries of  Documents  for  the  History  of  Mexico,  Vol.  1,  pp.  375 
to  558,  inclusive.  In  the  National  Library  of  the  City  of 
Mexico  it  is  Third  Series,  Vol.  16. 

Signature  of  A'eiez  de  Escalante.     Fac  Simile. 


BOOK  III 

Etienne  Provot,  Father  De  Smet,  General  Connor 
and  the  Dawning  of  Our  Own  Time 


1 


1i  r 


n*-*> 


r\*-^ 


CHAPTER  XVI. 

TEAILING   THE   PADRES. 

Leaving  Santa  Fe,  the  first  stopping  place  of  the  party 
was  at  the  old  Spanish  town  of  Santa  Clara,  which  name  the 
little  village  still  retains,  and  another  nine  leagues,  or  twenty- 
one  and  a  half  miles,  brought  them  to  Santa  Kosa  de  Abiquiu, 
the  still  existing  town  of  that  name.  From  here  the  trail, 
bore  to  the  north  and  west  to  a  point  near  the  present  village 
ofChama  on  the  Denver  and  Rio  Grande  Railroad,  from 
where  the  priests  turned  abruptly  to  the  westward,  following 
practically  the  route  at  present  taken  by  the  rajlxoad,  through 
DuraDgo  and,  still  along  the  line  of  the  railroad,  to  the  west 
until  they  arrived  at  the  present  station  of  Dolores,  where 
the  railroad  turns  into  the  mountains  to  the  right  on  its 
way,  to  Ouray  and  Telluride. 

Here,  the  course  taken  by  the  party  was  along  the  Rio 
Dolores  to  within  some  15  miles  of  where  the  river  is  joined 
by  the  San  Miguel,  which  Escalante  named  the  San  Pedro, 
and  then  turned  to  the  eastward  across  the  head-waters  of 
the  San  Miguel. 

There  can  be  little  question  but  this  abrupt  swing  to  the 
eastward  was  the  primary  cause  of  the. failure  of  the  expedi- 
tion to  reach  Monterey.  It  seems  apparent  that  in  taking 
this  route  Escalante  must  have  been  influenced  by  the  pre-  / 

vious  trips  of  Rivera  and  Posado,  the  former  going  as  far 
north  as  the  Grand  River,  and  the  latter  to  the  San  Buena- 
ventura or  Green  River. 

Following  this  easterly  course  for  some  fifty  miles,  they 
now  turned  northward,  across  the  lower  end  of  the  Uncom- 
pahgre  Plateau  into  the  drainage  of  the  Uncompahgre  River, 
and  then  northward  across  the  Gunnison  and  the  Grand,  and 
still  on  across  the  White  river  until  they  reached  Utah. 

On  this  portion  of  the  journey  they  traveled  almost  en- 


244 


THE   CATHOLIC    CHURCH    IN    UTAH 


tirely  over  Indian  trails,  with  competent  guides  and,  as  they 
followed  practically  the  routes  of  Rivera  and  Posado,  nothing 
of  noteworthy  interest  happened,  and  not  until  they  leave 
the  banks  of  the  Grand  River  do  they  encounter  a  foretaste 
of  the  trials  which  are  to  come  later. 

Crossing  the  state  line,  now  separating  Colorado  from 
Utah,  and  coming  to  that  portion  of  the  journey  which  more 
intimately  concerns  our  history,  Escalante  made  his  first 
camp  in  Utah  upon  the  eastern  bank  of  the  Green  River  at 
a  point  near  the  present  town  of  Jensen,  but  on  the  opposite 
side  of  the  river.  Of  the  location  of  this  camp  there  can  be 
little  doubt,  as  the  minute  description  which  he  gives  of  the 
prominent  topographical  features  could  be  fitted  to  no  other 
portion  of  northern  Utah,  and  while  his  latitude  given  for 
this  camp  is,  as  in  other  instances,  erroneous  owing  no  doubt 
to  his  failure  to  apply  the  necessary  corrections  to  his  calcu- 
lations, the  error  in  this  region  showing  him  to  be  about  58 
minutes  too  far  north,  he  could  have  come,  according  to  his 
descriptions  of  the  country,  from  no  other  direction  than 
across  the  Yampa  Plateau  and  down  to  the  Green  River,  or, 
as  he  records  it  in  his  Journal,  the  San  Buenaventura.  Here 
it  is  interesting  to  note  that  he  says  in  his  journal,  "this 
river  of  San  Buenaventura  is  the  largest  that  we  have 
crossed,  and  is  the  same  one  that  Fray  Alonzo  de  Posado 
says  in  his  report,  separates  the  Yuta  nation  from  the  Co- 
manche, if  we  may  judge  by  the  description  he  gives  of  it 
and  the  distance  he  says  it  is  from  Santa  Fe." 

The  most  diligent  search  fails  to  reveal  any  record  of 
Posado 's  trip,  and  as  Escalante  makes  no  further  mention 
of  it  beyond  the  Green  River,  it  must  be  assumed  that  Posado 
turned  back  from  here  or  continued  his  explorations  in  other 
directions.  Having  always  in  mind  the  primary  object  of 
Escalante 's  journey, — the  resolution  to  open  a  route  to  Mon- 
terey,— it  would  be  interesting  to  know  how  far  Posado 's 
journal  may  have  influenced  him  in  continuing  his  course  so 
far  to  the  north,  and  which  ultimately  led  to  the  abandon- 
ment of  the  attempt  to  reach  Monterey. 


THE   CATHOLIC    CHURCH   IN   UTAH  245 

Arriving  at  the  Green  River,  August  13th,  and  naming 
his  camp  the  Vega  de  Santa  Cruz,  or  Plain .  of  the  Holy 
Cross,  Escalante  remained  here  the  two  following  days  to 
rest  his  horses  and,  with  the  excellent  feed  and  abundant 
water  found  there,  give  them  opportunity  to  recuperate  from 
the  wearisome  efforts  which  the  preceding  days  of  the  jour- 
ney had  occasioned. 

On  the  morning  of  September  16th,  with  horses  rested 
and  refreshed,  the  strenuous  journey  is  again  taken  up. 
Going  northward  a  mile  to  the  only  available  ford,  the  river 
is  crossed  and  a  westerly  course  is  taken  until  Brush  Creek 
is  reached  when  they  enter  the  hills  on  the  western  bank  of 
the  river  and  pursue  a  southwesterly  course  until  they  come 
across  tracks  of  Indians  and  horses. 

These  signs  produced  in  their  minds  such  grave  suspi- 
cions as  to  give  rise  to  the  belief  that  an  attempt  would  be 
made  to  steal  their  stock.  Their  suspicions  seemed  further 
confirmed  by  the  actions  of  their  guide,  so,  swerving  to  the 
right,  they  turned  and  followed  the  tracks  which  again 
brought  them  to  Green  River  and  where  they  camped  for  the 
night. 

Leaving  this  camp  on  a  course  almost  due  west  the  Uin- 
tah River,  called  by  them  Rio  San  Damian,  was  reached  and 
crossed  near  the  mouth  of  the  Du  Chesne,  to  which  they  gave 
the  name  of  Rio  San  Cosmas. 

From  the  high  hill  which  they  ascended,  before  reaching 
Uintah  River,  the  guide  showed  them  the  point  where  the 
Green  River  was  joined  by  the  White,  which  latter  they  had 
previously  named  the  San  Clement. 

Following  up  the  Du  Chesne  River,  sometimes  wading  in 
the  river  bed  and  again  climbing  the  hills  along  its  borders, 
they  named  the  streams  as  they  crossed  them,  still  main- 
taining that  painstaking  and  minute  description  of  the  coun- 
try which  alone  makes  possible  the  accurate  tracing  of  their 
route. 

Entering  a  narrow  canon,  the  trail  became  hard  to  follow, 
and,  as  they  advance,  their  progress  is  seriously  impeded  by 
the  more  rugged  nature  of  the  country  until  they  reached 


246  THE   CATHOLIC   CHUECH   IN    UTAtl 

the  mouth  of  Strawberry  Creek,  where  they  turned  to  the 
northwest  and  made  their  camp  for  the  night  on  the  banks  of 
Currant  Creek.  The  day  had  been  a  most  trying  one  and  the 
country,  at  times  all  but  impassable,  presenting  a  most  for- 
midable appearance  as  they  entered  the  foothills  of  the 
Wasatch  mountains;  at  times  they  were  compelled  to  turn 
back  and  retrace  their  steps;  for  to  advance  seemed  impos- 
sible. The  indomitable  will  and  untiring  patience  which  car- 
ried them  through  this  region,  and  by  which  they  surmounted 
greater  hardships  encountered  later  on,  are  summed  up  in 
Escalante's  journal  where,  after  completing  the  record  for 
the  day,  he  adds  the  uncomplaining  entry,  ' '  We  arrived  very 
tired  because  the  road  was  difficult." 

Leaving  the  camp  on  Currant  Creek,  where  misfortune 
had  again  visited  them  in  the  death  of  one  of  their  horses, 
they  veered  to  the  southwest,  again  crossed  Strawberry  Creek, 
and,  ascending  the  divide  between  the  drainage  of  that 
stream  and  Soldier  Fork  Creek,  they  camped  for  the  night. 

The  following  day  they  crossed  Soldier  Fork  and,  still 
moving  to  the  southwest,  climbed  the  mountain  and  made 
camp  on  the  divide  which  separates  the  waters  of  the  Great 
Basin  from  the  drainage  which  finally  reaches  the  Gulf  of 
California  through  the  Colorado  river. 

When  they  drew  near  to  Utah  Lake  and  the  home  of 
their  Laguna  guide,  the  latter 's  desire  to  see  his  people  was 
so  great  that  he  so  much  increased  his  pace  as  to  make  it 
impossible  for  the  party  to  follow  him,  and  they  suffered 
very  much  in  tracing  their  way  over  the  rocks. 

Leaving  their  camp  on  the  divide,  and  still  going  to  the 
southwest  over  difficult  and  dangerous  ground,  they  came  to 
Thistle  Creek,  which  they  named  Rio  San  Lino,  and  camped 
the  night  of  September  22d  upon  ground,  which  is  almost 
the  present  site  of  the  little  town  of  Indianola  and  which 
camp  they  named  San  Lino. 

Carefully  and  usually  accurate  as  Escalante's  descriptions 
of  the  country  are,  from  the  camp  of  San  Lino  to  the  junc- 
tion of  Thistle  creek  with  Soldier  Fork,    and    which    two 


THE   CATHOLIC    CHURCH   IN   UTAH  247 

streams  are  then  known  as  Spanish  Fork,  it  seems  impossible 
to  reconcile  his  description  in  the  journal  with  the  topog- 
raphy as  it  exists.  He  must,  however,  have  gone  down 
Thistle  Creek  to  its  junction  with  Soldier  Fork,  for,  from 
this  point  down  Spanish  Fork  to  the  lake,  his  journal  can 
leave  little  doubt  as  to  the  course  he  traveled. 

Nearing  the  lake  and  the  home  of  the  Indians,  who  had 
been  notified  of  their  presence  in  the  country  by  smoke  sig- 
nals from  distant  hills,  Escalante,  fearing  that  the  Indians, 
not  knowing  the  purpose  of  their  trip,  might  prove  hostile, 
instructs  his  Laguna  guide  Silvester  to  announce  the  friend- 
liness of  his  party  and  their  peaceable  intent. 

Passing  the  junction  of  Soldier  Fork  and  Thistle  Creek, 
Escalante  proceeded  on  down  the  Spanish  Fork  and,  when 
near  the  valley,  ascended  a  high  hill  from  the  top  of  which 
he — first  of  white  men — looked  down  upon  the  pleasant 
valley  of  Utah  Lake.  Descending  again  to  the  river,  he 
followed  it  on  down  to  where  it  enters  the  valley  and  soon 
after,  on  the  23d  of  September,  1776,  made  his  first  encamp- 
ment within  the  valley  of  Utah  Lake  on  the  north  bank  of 
the  Spanish  Fork,  which  he  named  Aguas  Calientes — about 
two  miles  above  the  present  vilage  of  Spanish  Fork. 

For  many  years  the  impression  has  prevailed  that  Esca- 
lante, when  arriving  at  Utah  Lake,  came  down  the  Provo 
River  and  entered  the  valley  through  Provo  Canon.  There 
can  be  little  doubt  but  this  supposition  is  erroneous. 

Whatever  reasons  may  have  induced  Escalante  to  travel 
so  far  to  the  north  of  the  actual  direction  he  should  have 
taken  to  reach  Monterey,  it  is  apparent  from  his  journal 
that,  long  before  arriving  at  the  Green  River,  he  had  deter- 
mined to  visit  Utah  Lake,  and  his  course  from  the  camp  on 
Green  River  was  generally  westerly  until,  approaching  the 
Wasatch  range,  the  rugged  and  broken  country  forced  him 
daily  to  the  southward.  It  is  not  to  be  supposed  that  an 
experienced  traveler  like  Escalante  would  have  gone  straight 
forward  to  the  west  from  Green  River  into  the  roughest  and 
steepest  portion  of  the  Wasatch  mountains  without  a  motive. 


248  THE   CATHOLIC    CHURCH   IN   UTAH 

From  his  camp  on  Currant  Creek — and  there  can  be  no 
doubt  thrown  upon  the  approximate  location  of  this  camp — 
he  begins  to  swing  steadily  to  the  southwest  and  the  daily 
courses  and  distances,  as  recorded  in  the  journal,  could  only 
take  him  in  a  direction  leading  away  from  the  Provo  River. 

As  already  stated,  the  only  portion  of  the  course  from 
Green  River  to  Utah  Lake,  about  which  there  can  be  any 
question,  is,  for  a  distance  of  some  fifteen  miles,  from  the 
camp  of  San  Lino,  near  Indianola,  down  Thistle  Creek  to  its 
junction  with  Soldier  Fork. 

Referring  to  that  portion  of  the  journal  wherein  he  gives 
a  description  of  the  valley  of  Utah  Lake  he  writes,  "From 
the  four  rivers  which  water  it,  the  first  flows  from  the  south, 
and  is  the  Aguas  Calientes  (River  of  Warm  Water).  This 
is  the  stream  down  which  he  came  when  entering  the  valley 
and  upon  the  banks  of  which  he  camped.  Again,  quoting 
from  that  part  of  his  journal  where  he  refers  to  the  four 
rivers,  he  says,  ' '  The  second  following  the  first  three  leagues 
to  the  north  and  with  more  water  than  the  first,"  he  names 
the  Rio  San  Nicholas  and  which  could  be  only  the  Provo 
River.  The  Provo  River  has  more  water  than  Spanish  Fork 
and  tli3  distance  of  three  Spanish  leagues  which  he  gives, 
equivalent  to  about  seven  and  one  quarter  miles,  is  exceed- 
ingly accurate.  He  continues  "three  leagues  and  a  half  from 
this  to  the  northwest  is  a  river,"  and  this  he  names  Rio  de 
San  Antonio  de  Padua.  The  distance  of  three  and  one-half 
leagues  (about  eight  and  one-half  miles)  could  bring  him 
only  to  American  Fork  River,  and  finally,  describing  the 
fourth  river,  he  adds,  "To  the  fourth  river  we  did  not  go, 
although  we  saw  its  groves.  It  is  to  the  northwest  of  the 
San  Antonio,  and  we  saw  it;  it  has  on  each  side  much  level 
ground. ' '  This  he  names  Rio  de  Santa  Ana.  Looking  across 
the  valley  from  American  Fork  River  to  the  Jordan,  we  have 
no  difficulty  in  recognizing  the  Santa  Ana  as  the  latter 
stream. 

The  record,  as  given  in  the  journal,  must  fix  beyond  dis- 


THE    CATHOLIC    CHUKCH   IN   UTAH  249 

oute  the  fact  that  to  the  stream,  down  which  he  came  when 
entering  the  valley,  he  gave  the  name  of  Aguas  Calientes,  and 
with  this  fixed,  there  are  to  the  north  of  this  stream  or 
Spanish  Fork  only  the  rivers  mentioned.  It  is  to  be  borne  in 
mind  that,  in  giving  the  name  of  river  to  the  streams  he 
crossed,  Escalante  differentiates  between  those  carrying, 
sufficient  water  to  be  dignified  by  the  name  of  river  and 
others  having  a  lesser  quantity.  It  is  not  to  be  assumed  that 
he  gave  the  names  of  these  rivers  to  some  of  the  smaller 
streams  which  flow  into  the  valley.  In  closing  his  description 
of  the  water  available  for  irrigation  purposes  and  for  the 
uses  of  possible  future  settlement,  he  says,  in  addition  to 
the  rivers  already  enumerated:  ''Aside  from  these  rivers 
there  are  in  the  plain  many  pools  of  good  water  and  several 
fountains  which  flow  down  from  the  mountains."* 

If  Ave  are  to  assume  that  Escalante  did  reach  Utah  Valley 
by  coming  down  Provo  River,  and  to  which  in  that  case  he 
would  have  given  the  name  Aguas  Calientes,  it  is  certainly 
impossible  to  see  how  he  could  have  given  names  to  three 
streams  located  to  the  northwest  of  Provo  River  when  only 
two  exist. 

Pitching  camp  upon  Spanish  Fork,  they  find  the  Indians, 
have  burned  the  grass  in  order  to  force  them  to  leave  the 
valley  at  once,  and  that  the  Indians  themselves  were  gathered: 
in  hostile  attitude  in  their  village  on  American  Fork.  Tired: 
as  their  horses  were,  Escalante,  at  once,  sends  Father  Do- 
minguez,  with  the  two  Laguna  guides  and  interpreter,  to* 
visit  the  Indians  by  whom  they  are  hospitably  received  as; 
soon  as  their  peaceful  mission  was  made  known. 

The  day  following  his  arrival  in  the  valley  Escalante' 
moves  his  camp  to  the  Indian  village  on  American  Fork, 
where  he  spends  the  day  talking  to  the  Indians,  instructing- 


*  "A  mas  de  estos  rios  bay  en  el  piano  muchas  ojos  de  aqua  buena  y 
varias  fuentes  que  bajan  de  la  sierra." 

While  the  Spanish  words  "ojos"  and  "fuentes"  are  properly  translated' 
pools  and  fountains,  the  latter  word,  however,  can  only  be  interpreted  as- 
streams,  considered  in  the  sense  in  which  Escalante  used  it. 


250  THE   CATHOLIC    CHURCH    IN    UTAH 

them  and  preparing  them  for  conversion  to  Christianity. 
However,  the  principal  object  of  his  expedition  is  still  upper- 
most in  his  mind,  for  on  September  24th  we  find  in  the 
journal  this  entry:  '"We  now  determined  to  proceed  on  our 
journey  the  following  day  for  the  settlement  and  post  of 
Monterey."  At  about  one  o'clock  in  the  afternoon  of  Sep- 
tember 25th  he  said  good-by  to  the  Lagunas,  who  treated 
him  with  great  kindness;  and  leaving  behind,  with  much  re- 
gret, his  Laguna  guide  Silvester,  he  again  starts  on  the  long 
journey  to  Monterey,  retracing  his  steps  to  Provo  River, 
where  he  camped  for  the  night. 

Pushing  on  the  following  day  he  swung  to  the  westward 
of  his  first  camp  on  the  Spanish  Fork  and  prepared  to  leave 
the  valley  by  its  southerly  end,  stopping  for  the  night  upon 
the  site  of  the  present  town  of  Payson. 

Taking  a  southerly  course,  he  went  out  of  the  valley  of 
Utah  Lake  and  passing  near  the  village  of  Pondtown,  he 
passed  the  Salt  Pits  from  which  the  Indians  obtained  their 
supply  of  salt,  and  to  which  he  gave  the  suggestive  name  of 
Valle  de  las  Salinas;  thence  on  up  Salt  Creek  and  through 
the  present  towns  of  Santaquin  and  York  following  the  line 
of  the  old  Utah  Central  Railway  and  camped  upon  the  site 
of  the  little  village  of  Mona. 

Here  the  party  visited  a  band  of  Indians,  gave  them  some 
presents  and,  as  Escalante  writes  in  his  journal,  "found  them 
as  kind  and  gentle  as  the  Lake  Indians." 

Still  pursuing  a  southerly  course,  they  pushed  on  the  fol- 
lowing day  across  the  ground  where  Nephi  is  now  located, 
near,  but  to  the  westward  of  Levan,  and  through  Juab,  still 
following  the  line  of  the  present  railroad,  to  where  the  road 
turns  to  the  westward  and  crosses  the  divide  into  the  Sevier 
Valley,  when  they  continued  on  the  southerly  course  some  six 
miles  further,  turned  abruptly  and  crossed  the  divide,  com- 
ing down  to  the  Sevier  River  at  a  point  where  they  did  not 
suspect  its  existence  until  they  reached  it,  and  to  which  they 
gave  the  name  Santa  Isabel. 

Here  the  Indians  visited  them  and  caused  Escalante  some 


THE   CATHOLIC    CHURCH   IN   UTAH  251 

confusion  by  giving  to  the  river  the  same  name  as  he  had 
previously  heard  them  apply  to  the  San  Buenaventura  or 
Green  River;  he  concluded  the  Indians  had  made  a  mistake 
and  was  satisfied  in  his  own  mind  that  it  was  the  same  stream 
his  Indian  guide  Silvester  had  told  him  of,  and  which  later 
he  found  to  be  correct. 

Camping  the  night  of  September  29th  on  the  banks  of 
Sevier  river  they  visited  the  Indians  again  and  saw  for  the 
first  time  the  "Bearded  Yutas"  whose  heavy  beards  gave 
them  the  appearance  of  Spaniards  and  whose  country  was  to 
the  South  of  a  large  river  known  as  the  Tiron.  This  Esca- 
lante  assumed  to  be  a  river  formed  by  the  waters  of  the 
Dolores  and  the  Navajo  and  which  he  apparently  thought  to 
be  a  large  river  flowing  to  the  south  other  than  the  Colo- 
rado. This  river  is  not  identified  in  the  journal,  nor  is  it 
anywhere  mentioned  by  name  in  the  Journal. 

Leaving  the  camp  on  the  Sevier  River,  and  which  was 
almost  on  the  identical  ground  on  which  the  village  of  Scipio 
is  now  built,  they  moved  west  across  the  Sevier  Desert  until 
the  line  of  the  old  Utah  Central  Railroad  was  again  reached; 
here  they  halted  for  the  night  with  neither  water  nor  grass 
for  their  animals  and  without  water,  and  but  scanty  food,  for 
themselves. 

Although  night  had  fallen  when  the  camp  was  made,  two 
of  the  company  pushed  on  in  search  of  water  which  they 
thought  would  be  found  near  by,  hoping,  with  the  rising  of 
the  moon,  they  could  lead  their  stock  to  a  drinking  place; 
but,  failing  to  find  water  there,  others  started  out  trusting 
to  again  reach  the  Sevier  River.  The  night  was  spent  with 
the  little  party  scattered  over  the  desert  in  search  of  water; 
their  horses  strayed  away  and  were  lost,  and  not  until  morn- 
ing did  two  of  the  party  return  bringing  a  number  of  Indians 
who  guided  them  to  water. 

The  following  afternoon,  after  a  visit  to  the  Indian  vil- 
lage, they  started  off  to  the  southeast,  stopping  for  the 
night  at  Spring  Lake  near  Pavant  Butte,  which  they  named 
Little  Mountain. 


252  THE   CATHOLIC    CHURCH    IN    UTAH 

Leaving  the  camp  at  Little  Mountain,  they  again  took  a 
southwesterly  course  and  attempted  to  follow  up  the  bed  of 
Beaver  River,  whose  waters,  at  that  season,  were  all  but 
lost  in  the  desert.  It  seems  from  the  reading  of  the  Journal, 
however,  that  this  stream  was  not  recognized  as  the  Beaver, 
but  was  assumed  to  be  the  stream  which  Escalante  refers  to 
in  the  previous  day's  entry  as  "another  small  one  (river)  on 
the  east"  and  which  he  again  mentions  when  leaving  the 
camp  at  Little  Mountain,  where  he  says  "we  decided  to  cut 
across  the  river  of  the  East."  The  courses  and  distances, 
as  given  in  the  Journal,  could  bring  them,  in  the  direction 
they  were  then  traveling,  only  up  the  Beaver  River.  Re- 
ferring to  the  same  day's  entry, Escalante  says,in  fixing  their 
location  for  the  night's  camp,  "arrived  at  a  stream  which  at 
a  distance  seemed  to  have  considerable  water,  but  we  found 
on  coming  to  it  only  a  few  pools."  To  this  they  gave  the 
name  of  the  Stream  of  the  "Weaver,  because  "the  ravine  had 
in  all  parts  a  kind  of  white  soil,  dry  and  thin,  that  from  a 
distance  looked  like  cloth  spread  out." 

This  description  seems  further  to  fix  it  as  the  Beaver 
River. 

Taking  a  southerly  course  the  following  day,  there  can 
be  no  question  but  that  they  followed  up  the  general  direction 
of  the  Beaver  River,  although  at  some  distance  from  it,  and 
at  night  camped  on  the  same  stream,  where  it  is  noted  in  the 
Journal:  "We  found  in  the  same  stream  more  water  and 
much  better  than  yesterday,"  just  at  the  point  where  the 
Beaver  enters  the  Sevier  desert  and  which  they  named 
"Meadow  of  the  Gateway." 

In  the  morning  when  leaving  this  second  camp  on  the 
Beaver  at  the  "Meadow  of  the  Gateway,"  the  Laguna  guide, 
Jose  Maria,  left  them  as  a  result  of  a  dispute  with  one  of 
the  party,  from  here  they  traveled  with  no  one  among  them 
who  knew  the  land  which  they  were  now  entering,  and  which 
later  led  to  the  hardships  and  privations  they  endured  while 
hunting  for  a  crossing  of  the  Colorado  River. 

Still  following  up  the  Beaver  River  some  twelve  miles, 


7 


THE    CATHOLIC    CHURCH   IN    UTAH  253 

they  again  stopped  on  this  stream  the  night  of  October  5th, 
and  which  camp  they  named  San  Antenogas.  This  camp  of 
San  Antenogas  is  of  more  than  passing  interest,  for  here 
began  those  very  serious  incidents  which  later  led  to  the 
abandonment  of  the  attempt  to  reach  Monterey  and  to  form 
the  determination  to  return  to  Santa  Fe  by  the  shortest  and 
quickest  route. 

During  the  few  days  before  they  camped  at  San  Anteno- 
gas a  cold  wind  had  been  blowing,  and  on  the  morning  of  the 
6th  not  only  the  mountains,  but  the  lowlands  as  well  were 
covered  with  snow.  It  snowed  continuously  during  the  day 
and  until  nine  o'clock  in  the  evening,  making  travel  impos- 
sible and  compelling  them  to  remain  under  cover  all  that  day, 
as  well  as  the  following  day,  during  which  time  they  suffered 
severely  as  they  had  no  wood  to  make  a  fire. 

While  snow-bound  at  San  Antenogas  two  of  the  party 
were  sent  westward  across  the  Beaver  Mountains  to  search 
for  a  trail  which  might  take  them  in  the  direction  of  Mon- 
terey, but  the  great  expanse  of  desert  which  lay  before  them 
raised  a  barrier  to  further  travel  to  the  west  and,  on  the 
morning  of  October  8th,  we  find  them  again  tramping  south- 
ward, still  following  up  the  Beaver  River.  The  land  over 
which  they  traveled  was  very  muddy  and  their  horses  mired 
badly;  so,  after  proceeding  only  some  eight  and  one-half 
miles,  they  camped  again  about  a  mile  to  the  west  of  Beaver 
River. 

It  continued  to  grow  colder  and  more  unpleasant,  their 
provisions  were  practically  exhausted,  and  after  some  calcu- 
lations which  showed  the  little  actual  progress  they  had  made 
westward,  Escalante  decided  to  give  up  the  attempt  to  reach 
Monterey,  and  to  return  to  Santa  Fe  by  the  most  direct  route. 
On  the  following  morning  they  began  traveling  on  their  new 
course  toward  the  Colorado  River,  still  proceeding  up  the 
Beaver  River  to  a  point  some  six  miles  from  Miner sville. 
From  this  camp  they  left  the  Beaver  and  as  there  is  an  en- 
try in  the  Journal  of  the  day,  reading:  "To  this  place  the 
bearded  Yutas  come  from  the  south  and  this  seems  to  be  the 


254  THE    CATHOLIC    CHURCH    IN    UTAH 

terminus  of  their  land,"  it  would  appear  that  the  Beaver  was 
the  stream  referred  to  as  the  River  Tiron  by  the  Indians 
at  the  time  of  the  first  encampment  on  the  Sevier. 

The  determination  to  alter  their  course  and  abandon  the 
journey  to  Monterey  led  to  serious  opposition  on  the  part 
of  certain  members  of  the  expedition,  and,  in  the  interest 
of  harmony,  it  was  finally  decided  to  cast  lots  to  determine 
whether  they  should  go  'on  to  Monterey  or  enter  upon  the 
return  journey  to  the  Colorado  River;  the  cast  of  the  lots 
favored  the  Santa  Fe  route,  and  they  again  marched  on  the 
southerly  course. 

From  the  last  camp  on  the  Beaver  River  south  to  the 
State  line  between  Utah  and  Arizona,  it  is  all  but  impossible 
to  trace  accurately  the  route  of  the  party  from  the  Journal. 
Whether  disappointment  over  the  failure  to  reach  Monterey, 
or  by  the  trying  ordeal  of  the  days  and  nights,  or  the  ill- 
feeling  in  the  party  caused  by  the  return,  led  to  less  care- 
ful keeping  of  the  record,  it  is  noticeable  that  the  courses 
and  distances  recorded  and  the  description  of  topographical 
features  do  not  fit  the  country  as  it  exists  today.  It  seems 
apparent,  however,  that  from  the  camp  near  Minersville  they 
Avent  southwestward,  passing  through  Cedar  Valley  to  the 
west  of  where  Cedar  City  now  stands,  and  thence  followed 
down  the  Virgin  River,  leaving  Utah  near  where  this  stream 
passes  into  Arizona,  and  thus  completing  that  portion  of  the 
journey,  with  which  we  are  here  immediately  concerned. 

Following  down  the  Virgin  River  they  met  with  Indians, 
who  informed  them  there  was  no  crossing  of  the  Colorado 
in  the  direction  they  were  then  going,  so  they  turned  to  the 
northeastward  and  followed  a  course  parallel  with  the  river. 

For  twenty-three  days  they  traveled  over  the  broken  and 
rugged  country,  which  borders  the  northern  bank  of  the 
Colorado  River  hunting  for  a  possible  crossing.  With  pro- 
visions exhausted,  killing  their  horses  for  food,  and  subsist- 
ing as  best  they  could  on  pine  nuts  and  roots  secured  from 
the  Indians,  who  refused  to  sell  them  meat,  they  finally 
reached  the  ford  of  the  Colorado.     Thev  then  learned  that 


No 


iu> 


THE    CATHOLIC    CHURCH   IN    UTAH  255 

had  they  been  able  to  secure  proper  guides  the  same  journey 
could  have  been  accomplished  in  less  than  a  quarter  of  the 
lime  and  with  little  or  no  hardship. 

At  about  5  o'clock  on  the  afternoon  of  November  7th  the 
entire  party  had  crossed  the  Colorado  without  serious  mis- 
hap and  their  arrival  on  the  southern  bank  of  the  river  was 
celebrated  with  firing  of  muskets  and  devout  thanks  to  God 
for  the  safe  accomplishment  of  the  crossing. 

Without   careful   inspection   of  the   ground  it   would   be       <u 
difficult  to  fix  the  exact  point  of  their  crossing,  but  it  must       ' 
have  been  near  the  "Lee's  Ferry"  of  present  time. 

Except  for  shortage  of  provisions  and  lack  of  water  while 
crossing  the  desert  wastes  of  Northern  Arizona,  the  return 
journey  from  the  Colorado  was  accomplished  without  any 
exciting  incident. 

Leaving  the  Colorado,  they  went  southward,  near  where  \ 
the  present  wagon  road  runs,  along  the  Moencopie  Wash  and 
across  the  lands  of  the  Moqui  Indians.  While  still  hoping 
to  visit  the  Cosnina  Indians  they  were  finally  compelled  to 
abandon  their  intention  on  account  of  lack  of  provisions  and 
the  trouble  they  experienced  in  obtaining  supplies  from  the 
Moqui.  They  then  turned  to  the  southeastward  and  directed 
their  course  toward  Zufii. 

On  November  22d,  leaving  his  party  with  the  weakest 
of  the  animals,  Escalaute  pushed  on  to  Zuiii,  arriving  there 
on  the  24th,  sick  and  exhausted,  the  rest  of  the  men  reach- 
ing there  on  the  26th. 

Resting  and  recuperating  from  the  fatigue  of  the  journey , 
they  remained  at  Zufii  until  December  13th,  Escalante  hav- 
ing meantime  advised  the  Governor  of  their  arrival.  They 
again  resumed  their  journey  to  Santa  Fe  by  leisurely  stages, 
arriving  there  January  2,  1777,  having  traveled  some  1,600 
miles  over  mountains  and  deserts  during  the  five  months 
of  their  absence;  most  of  the  time  without  guides,  always 
without  a  knowledge  of  the  country  which  lay  before  them, 
and,  at  times,  enduring  untold  hardships    and    privations. 


256 


THE   CATHOLIC    CHURCH   IN    UTAH 


While  their  effort  to  open  a  route  on  Monterey  was  in  vain, 
it  cannot  be  said  that  they  did  not  contribute  their  share, 
however  small  it  may  seem  at  this  time,  to  the  exploration 
and  future  development  of  our  Great  West. 


' ""  ^5St^y??|^^^2J^^ 


PORCUPINE. 


Etienne  Pkovot 
Taken  from  Castonguay's  "Les  Voyageurs.'' 


CHAPTER  XVII. 

ETIENNE  PROVOT,  GUIDE,  TRAPPER  AND  HUNTER. 

Mutations  of  Regional  Names — Succession  of  Races — Hud- 
son Bay  Company  and  French  Trappers — Hudson  Bay 
Company  Fort  Built  at  Ogden — The  Snake  Chief  "Mau- 
vaise  Gauche" — Names  Given  to  Mountains,  Tribes  and 
Rivers  by  French-Canadian  Hunters — Etienne  Provot^ 
Trapper,  Hunter  and  Guide — Sent  on  a  Scout  to  the 
Southwest — Opens  the  " South  Pass,"  Later  Knotvn  as 
"Mormon  Trail" — Provot  and  Party,  Treacherously 
Attacked  by  Snake-Utes — Wonderful  Escape  of  Provot 
— Provot  Joins  Ashley  on  the  Green  River — Discovery 
of  Sevier  Lake — Death  of  Provot — Thomas  Fitzpatrick 
— Prominence  of  Celtic  Names  in  the  Trans-Missouri 
Regions. 

A  singular,  if  not  a  unique  fact,  in  the  history  of  Utah 
and  southwestern  Colorado,  is  the  change  of  the  nomencla- 
ture of  rivers,  mountains  and  localities,  indicating  that  mem- 
bers of  four  different  races  of  men  passed  through  or  occu- 
pied the  land  for  a  greater  or  lesser  period.  On  the  moun- 
tains, rivers  and  lakes  aboriginal  man  conferred  original 
names.  The  Spaniard,  burning  with  religious  enthusiasm, 
substituted  for  these  names  those  of  the  saints,  martyrs,  con- 
fessors and  canonized  virgins  of  his  Church.  Then  came 
French-Canadian  trappers  and  hunters  of  the  Hudson  Bay 
Fur  Company,  who  gave  French  names  to  tribes,  mountains 
and  specified  localities.  Then  entered  on  the  scene,  in  1823, 
the  men  of  the  American  Fur  Company,  who  incorporated 
English  names  with  or  supplanted  those  already  bestowed 
by  the  Indian,  Spaniard  and  French.  So  that  on  the  maps 
of  Utah  and  Colorado  these  national  names  remain  as  per-, 
manent  witnesses  to  the  presence,  at  one  time  or  another,  of 


258  THE   CATHOLIC    CHURCH   IN    UTAH 

the  existence  in  our  land  of  four  different  layers  or  strata  of 
the  human  race. 

That  many  representatives  of  that  extraordinary  and 
marvelously  hardy  class  of  men  known  as  '"Couriers  de 
Bois"  preceded  the  English-speaking  trappers  and  hunters 
we  know  from  the  journals  of  the  Hudson  Bay  Company, 
whose  post  at  Ogden,  Utah,  had  existed  before  Provot  and 
Bridger  first  camped  in  the  Green  River  Valley,  in  1823.  The 
Snake  chief  who  treacherously  attacked  Provot  and  his  men 
at  the  mouth  of  the  Provo  River,  in  the  autumn  of  1824,  was 
known  as  "Mauvaise  Gauche"  (the  man  with  the  bad  left 
hand),  a  suggestive  name  conferred  upon  him  by  the  French- 
Canadian  trappers  of  the  Wasatch  region  many  years  before, 
and  many  of  whom  had  probably  visited  Salt  Lake  some  time 
before  Jim  Bridger  sampled  its  waters,  in  1823.  Nearly  all 
the  men  of  Fremont's  expedition  of  1843-4  were  Louisiana 
French  Creoles  or  French-Canadians,  one  of  whom,  Joseph 
Girourd,  well  known  to  the  author,  died  only  a  few  years  ago 
on  his  ranch  in  British  Columbia. 

Even  when  Lewis  and  Clark  made  their  famous  expedi- 
tion to  the  headwaters  of  the  Missouri,  in  1804,  the  Rocky 
mountains  were  already  known  to  the  French-Canadian  hunt- 
ers as  the  "Montagues  Rocheuses,"  and  the  "Gros  Ventres," 
the  "Bois  B  rules."  The  "Nez  Perces"  and  the  "Pends 
d'Oreilles"  tribes  had  long  before  received  these  names  from 
those  fearless  bush-rangers,  the  French-Canadian  voyageurs 
and  trappers.  As  early  as  1739 — thirty-seven  years  before 
the  Declaration  of  Independence  —  the  Mallett  Brothers, 
French-Canadians,  opened  the  trail  from  a  point  on  the  Mis- 
souri to  the  Spanish  city  of  Santa  Fe,  N.  M.,  and  named  La 
Platte  Riviere.  These  French  Creoles  and  Canadians  were 
all  nominal  Catholics,  and  left  the  impress  of  their  wild  faith 
upon  the  tribes  with  whom  they  came  in  contact. 

Of  this  class  was  Etienne  Provot  (pronounced  Provo), 
who  gave  his  name  to  Provo  city,  river  and  valley.  When, 
on  March  20,  1822,  the  Rocky  Mountain  Fur  Company  was 
organized  at  St.  Louis  by  Major  Andrew  Henrv  and  W.  H. 


THE   CATHOLIC    CHUKCH   IN   UTAH  259 

Ashley,  Provot  was  one  of  a  hundred  young  volunteers  who 
answered  the  call  for  hunters  and  trappers  for  an  expedition 
about  to  be  organized  to  explore,  and  to  trap  the  mink  and 
beaver  rivers  of  the  Rocky  Mountain  regions.  On  x\pril  15 
the  expedition  set  out  from  St.  Louis,  ascended  the  Missouri 
to  the  Mandan  villages  and  established  a  fortified  post  at 
the  mouth  of  the  Yellowstone.  After  a  series  of  mishaps  and 
disappointments  Henry,  with  his  men,  reached  the  Powder 
River.  From  here  he  dispatched  Etienne  Provot  with  a  small 
party  on  a  scout  to  the  southwest. 

Provot  and  his  men  were,  according  to  H.  M.  Chittenden 
(The  American  Fur  Trade),  ''the  first  party  of  white  men  to 
have  crossed  the  'South  Pass'  late  in  the  fall  of  1823."  This 
South  Pass  was  afterwards  known  as  the  "Mormon  Trail," 
the  discovery  of  which  is  accredited  to  Jedediah  Smith,  who 
claimed  to  have  found  it  in  1829,  and  who  gave  his  name  to 
the  road  to  California  known  alternately  as  "Smith's  Trail," 
the  "South  Pass"  and  the  "Mormon  Trail."  "But,"  writes 
Chittenden,  "tradition  among  the  traders  and  trappers 
always  ascribed  the  discovery  of  this  pass  to  Provot,  and 
there  is  little  doubt  of  the  fact."  (The  Fur  Trade,  p.  271). 
The  same  authority  adds  (p.  280) :  "He  was  the  first  white 
man  (American)  who  penetrated  to  the  region  of  the  Great 
Salt  Lake."  In  this  same  region  Provot  very  nearly  fell 
over  the  precipice  of  death.  He  was  camping  with  his  men 
near  the  mouth  of  the  Provo  River,  when  a  Snake-Ute,  named 
Mauvaise  Gauche,  with  twenty  or  thirty  of  his  band,  visited 
him.  Gauche,  after  being  welcomed,  proposed  they  should  all 
enter  into  a  friendly  alliance,  and  to  cement  their  friendship 
suggested  smoking  the  Calumet  around  the  "peace-fire." 
When  the  Indians  and  whites  squatted  around  the  fire, 
Mauvaise  Gauche  seemed  to  be  troubled,  and  upon  being 
asked  by  Provot  what  was  the  matter,  he  replied  that  his 
wah-kon,  or  protecting  spirit,  was  angry  and  would  not  con- 
sent to  anything  while  there  was  any  iron  in  their  midst;  "it 
was  bad  medicine." 

Gauche  and  his  warriors  now  rose  and  piled  their  arms 


260  THE    CATHOLIC    CHURCH   IN   UTAH 

at  a  distance  from  the  fire.  Provot,  to  humor  the  supersti- 
tion of  the  chief,  rose  with  his  trappers  and  placed  their 
knives  and  guns  by  the  side  of  the  tomahawks  and  knives  of 
the  Utes.  All  of  them  again  sat  around  the  fire,  passing  and 
smoking  in  turn  the  Calumet.  Gauche  now  gave  a  cry  and 
his  braves  sprang  as  one  man  to  their  feet,  rushed  upon  the 
whites  and  with  tomahawks  and  knives,  concealed  under  their 
blankets,  began  to  butcher  them.  The  attack  was  so  unex- 
pected and  sudden  that  seventeen  of  the  trappers  were  mur- 
dered. Provot,  owing  to  his  great  strength  and  activity, 
escaped  with  four  of  his  men  to  the  mountains.  The  place 
then  became  known  as  Provot 's  hole  or  hollow. 

That  winter  he  joined  Ashley  in  the  valley  of  the  Green 
River,  from  which  place,  in  the  spring  of  1825,  Provot  led  the 
chief  of  the  expedition  and  his  companions  across  the  Wa- 
satch mountains  into  the  basin  of  Great  Salt  Lake,  with 
which,  as  we  have  seen,  he  was  already  familiar. 

From  the  valley  of  the  Salt  Lake  Provot  and  Ashley  be- 
gan their  remarkable  explorations,  circling  the  land  and 
finally  arriving  on  the  shore  of  Sevier  Lake,  which  was  for 
years  known  as  Ashley  Lake.  From  here  they  swung  north 
to  the  Green  River,  where  permanent  headquarters  had  been, 
in  1824,  established  for  the  American  and  the  Columbia  Fur 
Companies,  now  united  under  the  name  of  the  Rocky  Moun- 
tain Fur  Company. 

In  the  autumn  of  1828  Provot  started  out  to  round  up  the 
trappers  of  the  companies,  scattered  over  a  broad  region,  and 
rendezvous  them  at  Fort  Floyd,  at  the  mouth  of  the  Yellow- 
stone. 

We  know  nothing  of  the  life  of  the  intrepid  leader  for  the 
next  two  years  beyond  the  fact  that  he  at  once  plunged  into 
the  wilderness  and  succeeded  in  his  mission. 

We  do  not  again  hear  of  him  until  February,  1838,  when 
he  arrived  in  St.  Louis  from  the  Far  West,  bringing  tidings 
of  the  appalling  ravages  of  smallpox  among  the  upper  Mis- 
souri tribes.  On  February  25th,  the  elder  Choteau,  writing  to 
his  son,  Pierre,  who  was  6n  his  way  to  New  York  city,  said : 


THE   CATHOLIC    CHUECH   IN   UTAH  261 

"Late  last  night  Etienne  Provot  arrived,  bringing  melan- 
choly details  of  plague,  pestilence  and  devastation." 

This  plague  of  which  Charles  Choteau  writes  was  the 
smallpox,  and  was  the  most  frightful  visitation  that,  perhaps, 
ever  swept  through  the  North  American  Indians.  Hear  what 
Father  De  Smet  says  of  its  ravages :  ; '  In  the  spring  of  1837 
the  smallpox  was  communicated  to  the  tribes  on  the  uppeu 
Missouri.  The  fine  camp  of  Tchatka,  composed  of  1,200 
warriors,  was  reduced  in  this  single  season  to  eighty  men 
capable  of  bearing  arms.  Other  tribes  experienced  trials  still 
more  severe.  This  scourge  counted  more  than  10,000  victims 
among  the  Crows  and  Blackfeet  alone. 

The  Minnetares  were  reduced  from  1,000  to  500 ;  the  Man- 
dans,  the  noblest  among  the  races  on  the  upper  Missouri, 
counting  600  warriors  before  the  epidemic,  were  reduced  to 
thirty-two;  others  say  to  nineteen  only.  A  great  number 
committed  suicide  in  despair."     (Letter  xiii,  2d  ser.) 

In  1846  Provot  made  his  last  expedition  to  the  Missouri 
territory.  Returning  in  December  of  that  year,  he  settled 
down  in  St.  Louis,  where  he  died  July  3,  1850.  It  may  be 
well  to  say  here  that  Provot  is  the  correct  spelling  of  the 
name,  and  not  Provost,  which  occurs  in  all  the  histories  of 
and  literature  on  Utah  dealing  with  the  fur  trading  period. 
In  answer  to  our  request  to  ascertain  the  date  of  the  death 
and  the  correct  spelling  of  the  name  of  the  famous  guide, 
we  received  from  Judge  Walter  B.  Douglas,  of  St.  Louis,  this 
letter : 

"St.  Louis,  Jan.  9,  1909. 

"I  went  to  the  court  house  myself  this  morning  and  after 
a  long  search  I  found  the  answer  to  your  question.  I  discov- 
ered that,  in  the  record  of  the  administration  of  the  estate 
of  Etienne  Provot  the  name  is  Provot,  not  Provost.  Search- 
ing the  files  of  the  "Missouri  Republican,"  I  came  across 
this  obituary  notice  inserted  in  the  issue  for  July  4,  1850 : 

' '  '  Died,  yesterday  afternoon,  about  4  o  'clock,  Mr.  Etienne 
Provot.  The  friends  and  acquaintances  of  the  family  are  in- 
vited to  attend  his  funeral  this  afternoon  at  4  o'clock,  from 


262  THE   CATHOLIC    CHURCH    IN    UTAH 

his  residence,  on  the  corner  of  Lombard  and  Second  streets, 
to  the  Catholic  burial  ground. ' ' 

He  left  a  wife  and  one  daughter.  His  wife  was  Marie 
Rose  Salle,  dit  Lajoie.  She  was  the  daughter  of  the  woman 
mentioned  in  Greggs'  "Commerce  of  the  Prairies,"  Vol.  I, 
p.  146. 

As  the  "t"  in  the  French  name  Provot  is  silent,  we 
can  now  understand  the  origin  of  the  name  Provo,  as  applied 
to  the  city,  valley  and  river. 

We  have  recorded  the  discovery  of  Salt  Lake  by  Major  J. 
Bridger,  or  "Jim"  Bridger,  as  he  is  more  familiarly  known. 
He  was  in  his  day  regarded  as  the  greatest  scout,  the  best 
shot  and  the  foremost  guide  and  hunter  of  the  Rocky  Moun- 
tain region  and  the  trans-Missouri  territory.  He  spent  thirty 
years  among  the  Indians  and  was,  on  the  testimony  of  Father 
De  Smet,  "one  of  the  truest  specimens  of  a  real  trapper  and 
Rocky  Mountain  man."  On  the  advice  of  Provot,  Bridger 
sent  his  two  children,  daughter  and  son,  to  be  educated  at  St. 
Louis.  In  answer  to  inquiries  about  their  health,  Father  Dfc 
Smet  sent  him  the  subjoined  letter  by  Colonel  R.  Campbell, 
who  was  leaving  St.  Louis  for  the  Rocky  Mountains: 

"St.  Louis  University,  April  1,  1853. 
Mr.  J.  Bridger,  Fort  Bridger  and  Vasquez: 

"Dear  Friend —  *  *  *  A  few  days  ago  I  had  the 
pleasure  of  paying  a  visit  to  your  children,  who  reside  at 
present  in  St.  Charles.  They  appeared  to  be  well  pleased 
and  are  certainly  well  taken  care  of.  Felix  attends  our  school 
and  is  making  progress.  His  sister  lives  in  the  Academy, 
and  under  the  immediate  care  of  the  ladies  of  that  well-con- 
ducted establishment,  who  have  every  regard  for  her  that 
good  mothers  could  have  for  their  own  children. 
You  may  rest  assured  that  all  shall  be  done  to  make  them 
comfortable  and  happy.  You  have  promised  me  a  letter  in 
regard  to  the  Flatheads.  Remember  me  to  them,"  etc.  (Life 
and  Letters  of  Father  De  Smet,  p.  1484.) 


THE    CATHOLIC    CHURCH    IN    UTAH  263 

MAJOR  THOMAS  FITZPATRICK. 

Conspicuous  among  the  daring  hunters  and  free-trappers 
of  Utah  and  the  Intermountain  regions  in  the  early  days  of 
the  fur  companies  was  Thomas  Fitzpatrick,  friend  and  com- 
panion of  Etienne  Provot  and  James  Bridger. 

Fitzpatrick  was  grand  uncle  of  Rt.  Hon.  Sir  Charles  Fitz- 
patrick,  K.  C.  M.  G.,  now  Chief  Justice  of  the  Supreme  Court 
of  the  Dominion  and  member  of  the  Board  of  Governors  of 
the  Catholic  Church  Extension  Society  for  the  Dominion  of 
Canada. 

He  joined  the  Northwest  Fur  Company  at  Montreal,  Can- 
ada, in  1819,  at  about  the  time  Peter  Skeen  Ogden  of  the 
same  company  was  leaving  Vancouver  to  open  a  trading  post 
in  the  Wasatch  Range  of  the  Rocky  Mountains.  The  fur- 
traders,  both  of  the  Hudson  Bay  Company  and  the  Cana- 
dian Northwest  Company,  penetrated  to  the  Rocky  Mountains 
and  westward  still  to  the  streams  flowing  into  Great  Salt 
Lake  years  before  the  American  trappers  entered  the  coun- 
try; and  the  names  of  many  of  the  early  explorers  are  perpet- 
uated in  the  rivers  and  lakes  which  are  found  in  this  vast, 
territory.  It  is  not  too  much  to  say  that  the  fur-traders  were 
the  pioneers  of  civilization  in  these  immense  regions.  They 
undertook  the  most  fatiguing  journeys  with  the  greatest 
pluck  and  fortitude;  they  explored  the  land  and  made  its 
wealth  known  to  the  outposts  of  civilization.  In  1821  the 
long  and  violent  conflict  and  rivalry  between  the  Northwest 
and  the  Hudson's  Bay  Companies  was  ended  by  a  coalition 
of  the  companies. 

When  the  coalition  was  effected  Ogden  and  Fitzpatrick 
were  in  the  Wasatch  region.  Peter  Skeen  Ogden  (after 
whom  Ogden  City  is  named)  was  a  British  subject,  the  son 
of  Chief  Justice  Ogden  of  Quebec.  This  is  the  Ogden  who, 
in  our  histories,  is  mentioned  as  the  discoverer  of  Humboldt 
River,  which  had  been  discovered  and  was  well  known  to  the 
Spaniards  long  before  Ogden  was  born.  Ogden,  after  the 
union  of  the  English  Fur  companies,  continued  as  purchasing 


264  THE   CATHOLIC   CHURCH   IN    UTAH 

agent  for  the  Hudson's  Bay  Company,  retaining  in  his  en- 
tourage French-Canadian  trappers,  hunters  and  traders  of 
the  Northwest  Company,  who  had  followed  him  from  Canada. 

Although  wild  and  reckless  at  times,  these  hardy  men 
were  remarkable  for  obedience  to  their  superiors,  for  their 
unequalled  skill  in  handling  the  paddle,  their  strength  and 
endurance  and  their  facility  in  adapting  themselves  to  the 
habits  and  peculiarities  of  the  Indian  tribes.  They  were  the 
greatest  bush-rangers  and  canoe-men  of  their  time  and,  long 
before  the  advent  of  the  American  trapper  hunter  and  fron- 
tiersman, had  penetrated  vast  regions  and  trapped  the 
beaver  streams  of  the  great  west.  With  the  help  of  these 
men  Ogden  had  accumulated  for  his  company  a  vast  supply 
of  valuable  furs  worth,  it  is  said,  $175,000.  At  about  this 
time — 1823 — Ashley  and  Henry,  with  their  hunters,  entered 
the  Green  River  Valley  region,  and  began  moving  into  Og- 
den's  territory. 

The  Hudson  Bay  chief,  fearing  for  his  precious  furs,  re- 
moved them  by  night  from  the  warehouse  and  hid — cached — 
them  in  a  neighboring  valley  (now  Cache  Valley  from  the 
French  word  cache,  meaning  a  hiding-place). 

Ashley  bribed  some  of  Ogden 's  men,  stole  the  furs  and 
escaping  to  the  Missouri,  sold  his  rich  haul  at  St.  Louis  and 
laid  the  foundations  of  a  great  fortune.  After  this  misfor- 
tune Ogden  broke  camp  and  retired  to  the  Columbia  region. 
He  died  at  Oregon  City  in  1854,  in  the  sixtieth  year  of  his 
age. 

His  companion,  Thomas  Fitzpatrick,  remained  in  the 
Rocky  Mountain  region  as  an  independent  trapper  and 
hunter.  When  he  joined  the  Rocky  Mountain  Fur  Company, 
in  1824,  he  was  welcomed  as  one  of  the  "fairest,  straightest, 
squarest"  men  of  the  west.  The  fame  of  his  great  knowledge 
of  the  Rocky  Mountain  country,  his  familiarity  with  the  Salt 
Lake  Basin  and  Desert,  his  dauntless  courage  and  singular 
honesty  in  all  his  dealings,  reached  the  United  States  govern- 
ment, which  invited  him  to  join  its  frontier  service  and  made 
him  a  military  captain  at  large.    While  his  commission  was 


THE   CATHOLIC    CHURCH   IN    UTAH  265 

hunting  him  in  the  autumn  of  1840,  Fitzpatrick  was  guiding, 
across  the  Rockies,  the  John  Bartleson  party  which  threat- 
ened to  go  to  pieces  and  perish  of  starvation  and  cold  when 
Fitzpatrick  found  them.  He  was  a  man  held  in  high  esteem 
by  Indians  and  whites,  and  was  incorporated  into  the  Flat- 
head tribe  when  their  chief,  Red  Feather,  adopted  him  as  his 
brother. 

In  1848  he  was  breveted  major  and  was  appointed  Indian 
agent  over  the  whole  upper  La  Platte  region.  In  his  official 
capacity  he  was  present  with  Colonel  Robert  Campbell  and 
Father  De  Smet  at  the  Great  Peace  Council  assembled — 
September,  1851 — in  a  vast  plain  of  the  Platte.  Ten  thou- 
sand warriors,  Cheyennes,  Sioux,  Crows,  Arapahos,  Minne- 
tarees,  Mandans,  Shoshones  and  Aricaras,  met,  by  invita- 
tion from  Washington,  carried  to  them  by  Father  De  Smet 
when  no  other  white  man  would  be  allowed  to  enter  their 
territory.  This  was  the  largest  and  most  representative 
meeting  of  warriors,  chiefs  and  Indian  fighters  ever  brought 
together  on  the  American  continent.  Its  like  can  never  be 
seen  again,  for  conditions  can  never  make  for  its  reproduc- 
tion. 

After  the  treaty  of  peace  was  signed  Fitzpatrick  was  con- 
tinued in  office  and  was  created  a  government  guide,  explorer 
and  chief  of  scouts.  In  1843-4  he  and  Kit  Carson  were  with 
Fremont  on  his  explorations.  The  dime  novel  and  the  fron- 
tier drama  made  Kit  Carson  a  hero  forty  years  ago ;  history 
is  now  lifting  Fitzpatrick  onto  the  plane  of  the  heroic.  Fre- 
mont in  his  report  speaks  generously  of  him.  Chittenden  in 
his:  "American  Fur  Trade  of  the  Far  West"  praises  him, 
and  Father  De  Smet  says  of  him  in  a  letter  to  Colonel 
McKay,  written  from  St.  Louis,  May  10,  1849:  "I  had  the 
pleasure  and  happiness  of  traveling  in  his  ( Fitzpatrick 's) 
company  during  the  whole  summer  of  1842,  being  my  second 
expedition  to  the  mountains,  and  every  day  I  learned  to  ap- 
preciate him  more  and  more. ' '  With  the  possible  exception  of 
Bridger,  Fitzpatrick  was  the  most  expert  trailer  and  moun- 
taineer of  his  time.    His  knowledge  of  the  wilderness  and  his 


266  THE   CATHOLIC    CHURCH   IN   UTAH 

undoubted  courage  and  honesty  of  purpose,  won  for  him  the 
respect  of  the  men  of  his  time  and  territory,  and,  in  the  offi- 
cial and  private  letters,  yet  extant,  of  those  times  he  is 
spoken  of  in  terms  of  the  highest  praise. 

When  reading  the  narratives  and  correspondence  which 
have  come  down  to  us  from  those  stirring  times  and  the  trad- 
ing and  military  reports  of  the  intermountain  region  for  the 
first  quarter  of  the  nineteenth  century,  one  cannot  fail  to 
notice  the  number  of  Irish  and  Catholic  names  which  figure 
so  prominently  and  honorably  in  the  records  of  the  time.  In 
1829  Major  Bernard  Riley,  after  whom  Fort  Riley  was 
named,  commanded  the  Sixth  Infantry  at  Fort  Leavenworth. 

Major  O 'Fallon's  name  is  conspicuously  prominent  in  In- 
dian fighting  west  of  the  Missouri  for  many  years.  In  1824 
he  was  appointed  by  the  Department  of  the  Interior,  Govern- 
ment Superintendent  of  Indian  Affairs,  with  headquarters  at 
Council  Bluffs. 

In  1823,  Captain  Michael  Moore  is  mentioned  for  con- 
spicuous bravery  in  the  field  by  Colonel  Leavenworth,  then 
commanding  at  Fort  Atkinson. 

In  1820  James  L.  Dougherty  accompanied  the  first  Rocky 
Mountain  expedition  as  scout  and  hunter. 

In  1820  James  Patrick  Purcell,  hunter  and  trapper,  dis- 
covered and  made  known  to  the  East  the  existence  of  gold 
near  the  head  waters  of  the  Arkansas. 

The  prominent  part  taken  by  the  "Gael  Across  the  Sea," 
by  Irish  and  Scotch  Celts  in  exploring  and  opening  the  Great 
West  for  settlement,  forms  one  of  the  most  interesting  chap- 
ters in  the  history  of  onr  country  west  of  the  Missouri. 


Father  De    Smet,  S.  J. 


HAPTER  XVI 


Father  De  Smet,  S.  J. 
Missionary  and  Explorer. 

Of  interest,  in  connection  with  the  growth  of  the  Church 
in  Utah,  and  the  influence  he  may  have  had  in  the  early 
settlement  of  the  State,  comes  after  Provot,  and  next  in 
chronological  order,  that  intrepid  missionary  and  traveler, 
Father  De  Smet. 

Born  January  30,  1801,  at  Thermonde,  Belgium,  his 
early  boyhood  was  passed  in  his  native  city  until  he  finally 
entered  the  seminary  of  Malines,  where  he  remained  until 
his  twenty-first  year;  some  years  before  he  entered  the  semi- 
nary the  restoration  of  the  Jesuit  Society  had  been  accom- 
plished, and  it  soon  became  apparent  that  he  intended  fol- 
lowing a  religious  life,  the  probability  being  that  he  would 
become  a  member  of  the  Society  of  Jesus.  During  that  pe- 
riod, while  he,  no  doubt,  had  this  in  mind,  and  at  about  the 
time  of  the  close  of  his  term  at  the  seminary,  Father 
Charles  Nerinckx,  a  priest  whom  the  French  revolution  had 
driven  into  exile,  returned  to  Belgium  from  his  missionary 
work  among  the  Indians  of  North  America  in  search  of 
funds  and  recruits  with  which  to  carry  on  the  work  of  the 
missions.  Father  Nerinckx  succeeded  in  inducing  six  stu- 
dents of  Malines  to  return  with  him  to  America  and  enter  the 
Jesuit  Novitiate,  at  that  time  established  in  the  State  of 
Maryland,  preparatory  to  taking  up  missionary  work  among 
the  Indians  of  the  West.  Although  in  opposition  to  the  hopes 
of  his  family,  De  Smet  became  one  of  this  number,  and  em- 
barked with  the  rest  of  the  party  for  America  in  July,  1821, 
arriving  some  40  days  later  at  Philadelphia. 

After  visiting  Washington,  Baltimore  and  Georgetown, 
De  Smet,  with  the  other  novices,  entered  the  Jesuit  Novi- 
tiate at  Whitemarsh,  Maryland,  where  he  remained  for  some 
eighteen  months. 


268  THE   CATHOLIC   CHURCH   IN    UTAH 

In  1823,  steps  were  taken  for  the  establishment  of  a 
Jesuit  Novitiate  near  St.  Louis,  and  on  April  11th  of 
that  year  a  party  of  twelve  priests  and  novices,  including 
De  Smet,  started  from  Whitemarsh  for  St.  Louis,  arriving 
there  May  31st.  After  a  most  trying  journey,  from  here 
they  proceeded  some  fifteen  miles  further  west  to  the  little 
village  of  Florissant,  where  was  founded  the  second  novi- 
tiate of  the  Society  of  Jesus  in  the  United  States,  and  which 
was  destined  later  to  become  the  headquarters  of  the  Jesuits 
in  this  country. 

Entering  the  novitiate  then  established,  De  Smet  re- 
mained there  until  1827,  when  he  completed  his  studies 
and  was  ordained.  The  first  few  years  of  his  priestly 
life  were  uneventful  until  1833,  when,  on  account  of  ill  health, 
he  was  sent  to  Europe  on  business  of  the  Society  and  to 
recruit  his  health  by  a  sea  voyage.  Before  leaving  for  Eu- 
rope on  September  23,  1833,  he  took  out  his  naturalization 
papers,  becoming  a  citizen  of  the  United  States,  and  casting 
his  fortunes  with  the  New  World,  to  the  future  development 
of  which  he  was  ultimately  destined  to  largely  contribute. 

In  the  latter  part  of  1834  he  left  for  the  home  and  coun- 
try of  his  choice,  but  again  serious  illness  compelled  his  re- 
turn to  Belgium,  where  he  remained  until  1837,  occupying 
his  time  in  soliciting  financial  aid  and  procuring  recruits 
for  the  mission  about  to  be  established  in  the  Far  West. 

Keturning  to  St.  Louis,  he  started  on  May  10,  1838,  on 
his  first  mission  to  the  tribes,  and  began  what  was  to  be  his 
life  work,  the  value  of  which  in  paving  the  way  for  the  later 
opening  of  the  West  is  only  now  being  accorded  the  appre- 
ciation fully  due. 

Making  spasmodic  visits  to  the  plain  Indians  and  enter- 
taining deputations  from  distant  tribes,  De  Smet  remained 
at  St.  Louis  until  March  27,  1840,  when  he  entered  upon 
his  first  long  journey  into  the  northwest,  and  began  a  career 
which  was  destined  to  result  in  the  establishment  of  the  well- 
known  Eocky  Mountain  Missions  and  in  a  friendship  for  and 
intimacv  with  the  Indians  which  became  of  incalculable  as- 


THE    CATHOLIC    CHURCH   IN    UTAH  269 

distance  to  the  pioneers  and  of  acknowledged  aid  to  our  gov- 
ernment. 

During  this  period  until  1846  his  time  was  spent  in  estab- 
lishing Indian  missions,  soliciting  for  them  money  and  re- 
cruits both  here  and  in  Europe,  until  the  close  of  the  year. 
The  great  value  of  his  work  and  achievements  up  to  this 
time  is  best  summed  up  by  his  biographer  in  the  following 
expressive  language:  "But  most  important  of  all,  from  a 
public  point  of  view,  was  the  fact  that  he  had  become  a  great 
power  among  the  Indian  tribes.  All  now  knew  him,  many 
personally,  the  rest  by  reputation.  He  was  the  one  white 
mail  in  whom  they  had  implicit  faith.  The  government  was 
beginning  to  look  to  him  for  assistance.  The  Mormon,  the 
Forty-niner,  the  Oregon  immigrant,  came  to  him  for  infor- 
mation and  advice.  His  writings  were  already  known  on 
two  continents,  and  his  name  was  a  familiar  one  at  least  in 
the  religious  world."  (Life  and  Travels  of  Father  De 
Smet. — Chittenden.)  When  but  seven  years  of  active  work 
brought  results  such  as  this  indicates,  the  stupendous  labors 
accomplished  during  the  years  of  his  life  may  now  be  under- 
stood. 

During  this  early  period  of  De  Smet's  activity  there  oc- 
curred an  incident  which,  in  view  of  the  great  influence  it 
may  have  exercised  in  the  settlement  of  Utah  and  the  colo- 
nization of  that  territory  by  the  Mormons,  singularly  enough, 
has  escaped  the  notice  of  all  historical  writers  on  Utah  and 
the  intermountain  states.  In  a  letter  to  his  nephew,  written 
in  March,  1851,  he  writes:  "The  Great  Salt  Lake,  which 
is  about  300  miles  in  circumference,  lies  in  the  northern  part 
o£  the  Great  Basin.  It  is  rather  shallow  in  the  portions  thus 
far  explored;  but  is  supposed  to  be  very  deep  in  the  central 
parts.  Ths  water  of  the  lake  is  more  salty  than  sea-water. 
Three  gallons  of  it  yield  a  gallon  of  salt  of  the  greatest  pur- 
ity, whiteness  and  fineness.  On  the  northeast  of  the  lake 
is  the  termination  of  the  valley  of  Bear  River.  This  valley 
is  thirty  miles  long  by  twenty-two  wide,  and  communicates 
with  another  valley,  which  is  fifty  miles  by  eight  (now  Cache 


270  THE   CATHOLIC   CHURCH   IN    UTAH 

Valley).  It  is  in  this  first  valley,  inclosed  by  picturesque 
mountains,  which  has  taken  the  name  of  the  Valley  of  the 
Mormons,  that  their  capital  stands,  called  by  some  Great 
Salt  Lake  City,  and  by  others  Mormonville. ' '  That  De  Smet 
visited  Salt  Lake  during  his  trip  to  the  northwest  in  1841 
does  not  seem  to  have  been  generally  known.  This  visit,  in 
association  with  the  fact  that  he  was  the  first  Catholic  priest 
to  enter  Utah  subsequent  to  the  explorations  of  Fathers  Es- 
calante  and  Dominguez  in  1776,  gives  to  this  part  of  his  jour- 
ney great  interest  in  connection  with  the  history  of  the 
Church  in  our  State. 

Quoting  further  from  the  same,  letter,  and  coming  to  that 
portion  of  the  events  which  followed  it,  he  writes :  "  In  the 
fall  of  1846,  as  I  drew  near  to  the  frontiers  of  the  state  of 
Missouri,  I  found  the  advance  guard  of  the  Mormons,  num- 
bering about  10,000,  camped  on  the  Territory  of  the  Omaha, 
not  far  from  the  old  Council  Bluffs.  They  had  just  been 
driven  out  for  the  second  time  from  a  State  of  the  Union 
(Illinois  had  received  them  after  their  war  with  the  people 
of  Missouri).  They  had  resolved  to  winter  on  the  thresh- 
old of  the  great  desert,  and  then  to  move  onward  into  it,  to 
put  distance  between  themselves  and  their  persecutors,  with- 
out even  knowing  at  that  time  the  end  of  their  long  wander- 
ings, nor  the  place  where  they  should  once  more  erect  for 
themselves  permanent  dwellings.  They  asked  me  a  thou- 
sand questions  about  the  regions  I  had  explored,  and  the 
valley  which  I  have  just  described  to  you  pleased  them 
greatly  from  the  account  I  gave  them  of  it.  Was  that  what 
determined  them?  I  would  not  dare  to  assert  it.  They  are 
there!  In  the  last  three  years  Utah  has  changed  its  aspect, 
and  from  a  desert  has  become  a  flourishing  territory,  which 
will  soon  become  one  of  the  states  of  the  Union." 

To  the  Mormons  living  in  a  temporary  camp  on  the  edge 
of  the  desert,  unable,  or  at  least  unwilling,  to  retrace  the 
road  leading  back  to  the  land  of  their  persecutors,  ignorant 
of  the  region  which  lay  before  them,  De  Smet's  glowing 
description  of  the  beautiful  and  fertile  valley  which  lay  be- 


THE   CATHOLIC   CHUKCH   IX   UTAH  271 

yond  the  mountains,  brought  the  solution  of  their  most  per- 
plexing problem,  for  it  indicated  a  place  wherein  they  could 
establish  their  homes  and  their  religion,  free  from  the  trou- 
bles and  persecutions  which  had  so  far  beset  them.  His  close 
acquaintance  with  Brigham  Young,*  and  his  many  conversa- 
tions with  him  on  the  Rocky  Mountain  regions  and  on  Salt 
Lake  Valley,  probably  determined  the  choice  of  the  Mormon 
prophet,  and  led  to  the  decision  which  ultimately  settled  the 
Latter  Day  Saints  in  the  fertile  lands  they  now  occupy  in 
Utah. 

While  it  was  not  generally  known  that  De  Smet  passed 
through  the  valley — for  there  appeared  in  De  Smet's  writ- 
ings no  exhaustive  or  detailed  account  of  his  visit  to  Salt 
Lake — no  doubt  can  now  be  cast  on  the  fact  that  he  was  there 
and  had  explored  a  considerable  portion  of  the  valley.  Under 
date  of  January  19,  1858,  in  a  letter  addressed  to  the  editor 
of  the  "Precis  Historiques  Bruxelles,"  and  following  a  de- 
scription of  the  Great  Salt  Lake  Basin,  he  writes :  "In  1841 
I  traversed  much  of  this  valley  in  my  rambles  in  the  Rocky 
Mountains."  Inasmuch  as  De  Smet's  writings  consist  al- 
most entirely  of  letters,  addressed  for  the  most  part  to 
friends  in  Europe,  and  written  after  his  return  to  St.  Louis 
from  his  various  trips,  no  attempt  being  made  to  carry  on 
any  connected  narrative,  and  having  for  their  principal  ob- 
ject the  obtaining  of  funds  for  the  furtherance  of  his  mis- 
sionary work,  it  is  not  strange  that  he  should  have  passed 
over,  somewhat  lightly,  an  incident  which  now  seems  of  such 
great  historic. value. 

With  his  return  to  St.  Louis  on  December  10,  1846,  his  ac- 
tive missionary  work  among  the  Indians  practically  ended. 
Only  twice,  and  both  occasions  on  important  missions,  did  he 
revisit  the  field  of  his  early  labors.  Various  reasons  have 
been  assigned  for  his  retirement  from  active  missionary  work, 


*  "  He  (De  Smet)  became  well  acquainted  with  Young,  and  it  is  possi- 
ble the  information  he  gave  him  may  have  influenced  that  leader  in  choosing 
Salt  Lake  Valley  as  the  future  home  of  his  people."  (Father  De  Smet's  Life 
and  Travels  Among  the  North  American  Indians.) 


272  THE   CATHOLIC    CHURCH    IN    UTAH 

and  many  of  them  are  far  afield  of  truth.  Certain  it  is  that 
the  abandonment  of  his  missionary  work  was  contrary  to  the 
desires  of  Father  De  Smet.  For  years  he  held  the  office  of 
procurator  for  the  Indian  Missions,  and  there  is  little  doubt 
but  his  former  successful  efforts  in  procuring  funds  and  aid 
for  the  missions  from  Europe  led  his  Superior  to  believe 
that  his  services  in  this  direction  might  ultimately  be  of 
greater  benefit  in  Christianizing  the  tribes  than  they  would 
be  if  devoted  exclusively  to  missionary  work.  Singularly 
enough,  at  about  this  same  time  jealousy  in  certain  quarters 
prompted  the  sending  to  Rome  of  false  and  malicious  state- 
ments concerning  De  Smet's  work  among  the  Indians,  and 
challenging  also  the  truthfulness  of  the  reports  he  had  writ- 
ten upon  the  success  of  his  missions.  These  attacks,  how- 
ever, had  not  the  slightest  influence  upon  the  assignment  to 
him  of  other  duties,  and  if  the  Church  did  not  entirely  ap- 
prove of  his  plan  for  the  establishment  of  an  extensive  se- 
ries of  missions  among  the  Indians  it  was  only  because  that 
plan  was  too  large  to  permit  of  its  successful  fulfillment  in 
the  then  existing  financial  condition  of  the  Society.  One 
thing  seems  certain :  this  arrangement  did  not  altogether  suit 
Father  De  Smet,  and,  though  he  accepted  the  change  with 
that  spirit  of  cheerful  obedience  which  characterized  his 
life,  we  find  in  his  more  intimate  correspondence  frequent 
expressions  of  utmost  regret  that  he  was  no  longer  able  to 
continue  his  work  among  the  Indians. 

After  his  return  to  St.  Louis,  in  1846,  he  remained  there 
with  the  exception  of  one  short  trip  to  New  Orleans  and  a 
trip  to  Europe,  until  1851,  when  he  was  invited  by  the  gov- 
ernment to  attend  the  Great  Council  of  Indian  tribes,  which 
had  been  fixed  for  that  year,  and  thus  began  that  long  series 
of  negotiations  with  the  Indians  which  ultimately  resulted 
in  the  pacification  of  many  warlike  tribes.  For  his  valuable 
work  on  behalf  of  peace,  the  great  priest  received  the  thanks 
of  President  Peirce. 

Making  such  short  trips  as  the  duties  of  his  office  re- 
quired, and  with  the  exception  of  one  voyage  to  Europe,  he 


THE    CATHOLIC    CHURCH   IN   UTAH  273 

remained  in  St.  Louis  until  1858.  At  this  time  there  came  a 
call  for  his  services  in  a  most  unexpected  quarter.  Trouble 
with  the  Mormons  had  been  more  or  less  serious,  and  Gen- 
eral Harney,  who  was  to  command  the  second  expedition  sent 
into  Utah,  requested  that  Father  De  Smet  be  invited  to  ac- 
company the  expedition  as  chaplain.  This  request  meeting 
with  the  approval  of  the  Government,  as  well  as  with  that  of 
the  church  authorities,  he  left  St.  Louis  May  20,  1858,  to  join 
the  army  at  Fort  Leavenworth.  It  had  then  been  seven 
years  since  he  had  crossed  the  plains  when  on  his  way  to 
attend  the  Great  Council  between  the  war  chiefs  and  U.  S. 
officials,  and  we  can  well  imagine  the  pleasure  with  which  he 
returned  to  the  scenes  of  his  earlier  travels.  The  misunder- 
standing between  the  Mormons  and  the  U.  S.  Government 
having  been  settled,  and  General  Harney's  expedition  called 
back,  Father  De  Smet  again  returned  to  St.  Louis,  reaching 
that  city  September,  1858,  when  he  tendered  his  resignation 
as  chaplain  in  the  army  and  prepared  to  resume  his  inter- 
rupted duties. 

At  about  this  time  occurred  the  outbreak  of  the  Indians 
in  Oregon,  and  he  was  requested  by  the  Secretary  of  War  to 
retain  his  commission  as  army  chaplain,  and  again  accompany 
General  Harney,  who  was  to  command  the  expedition  against 
the  Indians.  This  reappointment  again  meeting  with  the 
approval  of  his  superiors  in  the  church,  Father  De  Smet  left 
for  Oregon,  going  by  way  of  Panama,  and  arrived  at  Van- 
couver October  28,  1858.  The  Oregon  campaign,  however, 
was  closed  before  he  was  able  to  join  the  expedition  or  reach 
the  field  of  operations.  His  long  voyage,  however,  was  not 
without  beneficial  results,  for  he  remained  during  the  winter 
and  the  greater  part  of  the  following  spring  and  summer,  di- 
recting his  efforts  toward  the  pacification  of  the  Indians  and 
in  effecting  a  peaceable  and  satisfactory  solution  of  the  trou- 
ble with  the  mountain  tribes. 

After  his  return  from  Oregon  and  the  northwest,  he  once 
more  resumed  his  duties  in  St.  Louis,  remaining  until  1860, 
when  business  of  the  Society  again  took  him  to  Europe. 

From  this  time  his  health,  which  was  failing  rapidly,  to- 


274  THE   CATHOLIC   CHURCH   IN    UTAH 

gether  with  increasing  age,  was  unequal  to  the  wear  and  tear 
of  the  many  journeys  which  his  duties  and  conscience  im- 
posed on  him.  For  the  last  twenty  years  of  his  life  he  was 
seldom  free  from  physical  ailment  of  some  sort,  brought 
on,  no  doubt,  by  the  hardships  and  exposure  of  his  mission- 
ary life.  To  quote  from  one  of  his  letters  will  best  illus- 
trate the  deprivations  of  his  early  life.  "I  have  been  for 
years  a  wanderer  in  the  desert.  I  was  three  years  without 
receiving  a  letter  from  any  quarter.  I  was  two  years  in 
the  mountains,  without  tasting  bread,  salt,  coffee,  tea,  sugar. 
I  was  for  years  without  a  roof,  without  a  bed.  I  have  been 
six  months  without  a  shirt  on  my  back,  and  often  I  have 
passed  whole  days  and  nights  without  a  morsel  of  anything 
to  eat."  With  a  life  spent  in  this  manner  small  wonder  that 
disease  should  lay  heavy  tribute  on  his  declining  years. 

On  March  30,  1868,  Father  De  Smet  left  St.  Louis  on 
what  was  practically  his  last  visit  to  the  Indians,  and  from 
a  secular  point  of  view  his  most  important.  It  was  at  this 
time  that  a  Sioux  uprising  threatened  all  our  northern  terri- 
tory. Father  De  Smet  was  appealed  to  from  Washington  to 
penetrate  the  regions  closed  to  all  other  white  men,  reach 
the  hostile  Indians,  and  bring  a  deputation  from  them  to 
meet  a  Peace  Commission.  His  mission  was  crowned  with 
the  same  invariable  success  which  always  marked  his  inter- 
course with  the  Indians,  and  once  more  he  paved  the  way  for 
peace  between  the  whites  and  the  hostile  tribes. 

Returning  from  his  expedition,  he  made  a  short  trip  to 
Europe,  and  on  June  1st,  1870,  started  on  his  last  visit  to 
the  tribes,  ascending  as  far  as  Grand  River  Agency  in  South 
Dakota. 

Increasing  illness  and  bodily  infirmities  now  weighed 
heavily  upon  him,  and  in  1871  he  made  what  was  destined  to 
be  his  last  visit  to  Europe,  and  to  the  home  of  his  birth. 

He  left  Europe  April  11,  1872,  completing  his  nineteenth 
voyage  across  the  Atlantic,  and  with  his  arrival  in  St.  Louis 
ended  his  life's  travels,  which  reached  the  prodigious  total 
of  180,000  miles.     When  a  moment's  consideration  is  given 


THE   CATHOLIC    CHUKCH  IN   UTAH  275 

to  the  crude  methods  of  travel  available  at  that  time,  and 
that  much  of  this  distance  was  accomplished  by  stage,  wagon, 
horseback,  and  often  on  foot,  his  work  in  travel  alone  bears 
convincing  testimony  of  the  arduous  life  he  led. 

He  remained  at  the  Jesuit  College,  St.  Louis,  till  his 
death,  which  occurred  on  May  23,  1873,  in  the  73d  year  of 
his  life. 

The  body  of  the  great  missionary  rests  in  the  little  ceme- 
tery near  the  Jesuit  Novitiate,  Florissant,  within  sight  of 
the  spot  where  his  labors  began,  and  within  sound  of  the 
chapel  bell. 


CHAPTER  XIX. 

General  Patkick  Edward  Connor. 
Patriot  and  Promoter. 

It  would  be  unfair  to  the  memory  of  a  distinguished  man 
and  a  gallant  soldier,  who  figured  conspicuously  in  the  his- 
tory of  Utah  in  the  early  sixties,  to  omit  a  sketch  of  his  ca- 
reer in  a  work  professing  to  deal  with  the  origin  and  expan- 
sion of  Catholicism  in  our  state. 

The  memory  of  Major  General  Connor  is  held  in  kindly 
remembrance  in  Utah  by  those  who  knew  him  and  are  yet 
living,  and  his  name  is  mentioned  with  respect  and  admira- 
tion by  those  who  were  not  born  when  he  crossed  the  Jordan, 
and,  with  his  regiment,  camped  among  the  foothills  of  the 
Wasatch. 

Like  many  others  of  his  countrymen  who  fought  their 
way  to  recognition  and  promotion  in  the  army  and  navy, 
Patrick  Connor,  when,  in  1836,  he  landed  with  his  parents 
in  New  York,  was  a  penniless  exile.  The  hostility  to  his  re- 
ligion and  his  nationality  was,  at  that  time  in  the  United 
States,  a  very  serious  handicap,  which  closed  to  Irishmen  the 
avenues  leading  to  commercial  and  professional  success. 

Born  in  Ireland,  March  17,  1820,  the  future  general 
inherited  the  fighting  blood  of  the  great  O'Connor  Clan — 
"The  O'Connor  fire-eaters  of  Kerry," — and,  when  he  was 
nineteen  years  old,  he  enlisted  as  a  private  in  a  regiment  or- 
ganized for  active  service  in  the  Seminole  campaign.  After 
his  regiment  was  mustered  out  of  service,  in  1844,  Connor 
returned  to  New  York,  from  which  city  he  went  to  Texas. 
While  there,  Mexico  declared  war  against  the  United  States, 
and  at  once  the  "Lone  Star"  State  raised  a  detachment  of 
volunteers,  subsequently  designed  as  Company  A,  1st  Texas 
Foot  Eiflemen,  to  serve  for  a  term  of  three  months  in  the 
Mexican  War.   Connor  enlisted  in  this  company,  and  was 


Brigadier  General  Patrick   Edward  Connor. 


THE   CATHOLIC   CHUKCH   IN    UTAH  277 

made  first  lieutenant.  At  the  expiration  of  his  period  of 
service,  he  joined  Captain  Seefield's  "Independent  Company 
of  Texas  Volunteers,"  then  at  Camargo,  Mexico.  With  the 
Volunteers  he  took  part  in  the  engagements  of  Palo  Alto, 
Dela-Palma,  Eesaca,  and  in  the  fierce  fight  of  Buena  Vista, 
where  he  was  badly  wounded.  He  was  mentioned  in  a  dis- 
patch to  the  war  office  for  "conspicuous  bravery  in  action," 
and  on  February  12,  1847,  was  promoted  captain  of  his  com- 
pany. 

After  the  battle  of  Buena  Vista,  Connor,  at  his  own  re- 
quest, was  honorably  discharged  and  retired  to  California, 
where  he  remained  till  the  opening  of  the  Civil  War. 

When  the  news  of  the  attack  on  Fort  Sumpter  reached 
California,  Connor  at  once  tendered  his  services  to  the  Gov- 
ernor, and  was  appointed  to  the  command  of  the  Third  Cali- 
fornia Infantry.  In  May,  1862,  Colonel  Connor  was  ordered 
with  his  regiment  to  Utah,  ostensibly  to  guard  the  trails,  to 
protect  the  mail  and  immigrant  routes  of  the  Wasatch  and 
portions  of  the  southwestern  region,  and  keep  an  eye  on 
the  Indians.  Early  in  October,  1862,  the  Third  California 
Infantry  and  a  company  of  the  Second  California  Cavalry, 
under  the  command  of  Colonel  Connor,  entered  the  Valley  of 
Salt  Lake. 

The  colonel  established  his  headquarters  on  a  bench  of 
land  east  of  Salt  Lake  City.  Here  his  men  broke  ground 
for  a  presidio,  or  military  fort,  and  on  October  24  he  named 
his  post  Camp  Douglas.  His  soldiers  were  yet  engaged  in 
the  construction  of  temporary  winter  quarters  when  a  mes- 
senger came  to  the  camp,  reporting  that  the  Snakes  and  Ban- 
nocks were  holding  up  the  trails  and  slaughtering  immi- 
grants along  the  Valley  of  Bear  Eiver.  Connor  went  after 
them,  and  on  January  29,  1863,  he  almost  annihilated  the 
Snake  tribe  and  put  an  end  for  all  time  to  Indian  deviltry 
in  the  Wasatch  and  Salt  Lake  regions. 

On  March  30,  1863,  he  was  promoted  Brigadier-General 
of  Volunteers,  and  his  command  honorably  mentioned  for 


278  THE   CATHOLIC   CHURCH   IN    UTAH 

their  part  in  extinguishing  the  rising  of  the  Shoshonian 
tribes. 

Early  in  '65  the  Indians  of  the  region,  including  the  pres- 
ent states  of  Nevada,  Colorado,  Utah  and  parts  of  Dakota 
and  New  Mexico,  showed  signs  of  serious  discontent.  Gen- 
eral Connor's  military  jurisdiction  was  enlarged  to  include 
the  territory  of  these  states.  Soon  after  his  appointment 
as  " Military  Commander  of  the  District  of  the  Plains,"  the 
Arapahoes  ambushed  the  Overland  Mail  Route,  killing  the 
drivers,  destroying  the  coaches  and  running  off  the  horses. 
At  about  the  same  time  roving  bands  of  Sioux  were  attack- 
ing the  immigrant  trains  and  slaughtering  women  and  chil- 
dren. 

General  Connor,  at  the  head  of  two  thousand  cavalry, 
rode  into  the  enemy's  country,  attacked  the  Arapahoes  on 
the  Tongue  River,  and  inflicted  a  memorable  defeat  upon 
them.  In  this  engagement  the  Indians  lost  sixty-three  of 
their  braves,  their  village  was  burned,  many  of  their  women 
and  children  made  prisoners,  and  six  hundred  of  their  horses 
rounded  up  and  driven  in. 

Connor  returned  with  his  mounts  to  Fort  Laramie,  where, 
in  obedience  to  orders  from  the  war  office,  he  sent  the  vol- 
unteer troops  under  his  command — about  six  thousand — back 
to  their  separate  states,  to  be  mustered  out  of  service. 

Soon  after  his  return  to  Port  Douglas  he  was  breveted, 
March  13th,  Major-General  of  Volunteers,  for  gallant  and 
meri  torious  service. 

On  April  30,  1866,  General  Connor  was  mustered  out 
of  service,  declining  the  tender,  on  the  part  of  the  Presi- 
dent, of  a  colonelcy  in  the  regular  army. 

On  his  retirement  from  active  military  duty  the  General 
at  once  entered  enthusiastically  into  the  political  and  indus- 
trial life  of  Utah.  He  launched  the  ' '  Daily  Union  Vidette, ' '  a 
newspaper,  in  which  he  advocated  the  basic  principles  of  a 
united  patriotism  for  the  state,  and  in  which  he  endeavored 
to  show  the  utter  futility  of  propagating,  with  the  hope  of 


THE    CATHOLIC   CHURCH   IN   UTAH  279 

eventually  establishing,  the  theory  of  a  theocratic  govern- 
ment in  a  free  country. 

To  counteract  the  teachings  of  the  "Vidette,"  and  edu- 
cate the  public  to  an  appreciation  of  individual  rights,  the 
"Daily  Telegraph"  was  founded. 

Connor  now  entered  the  mineral  region,  and  located  the 
Jordan  mine  in  Bingham  Canyon,  said  to  be  the  first  mine 
opened  in  the  State  of  Utah.  He  summoned  and  presided 
over  the  first  meeting  of  miners  in  Salt  Lake  City,  and  sub- 
mitted for  the  approval  and  adoption  of  those  present  a  series 
of  mining  rules  which  were  afterwards  consolidated  into  a 
law.  He  located  the  site  for  the  present  town  of  Stockton, 
erected  the  first  silver-lead  smelting  works  in  our  State,  and 
threw  eighty  thousand  dollars  of  his  money  into  mining  and 
other  enterprises  calculated  to  develop  the  resources  of  Salt 
Lake  territory.  His  restless  energy  was  not  satisfied  with 
the  exploitation  of  the  resources  of  the  mountains.  He  be- 
lieved that  if  the  people  living  on  the  shores  of  the  Great 
Salt  Lake  could  be  brought  into  closer  touch  and  more  in- 
timate association,  it  would  add  much  to  their  social  happi- 
ness and  industrial  prosperity.  To  achieve  his  expectations, 
he  built  the  steamer  "Kate  Connor''  and  the  sloop  "Pio- 
neer," the  first  craft  of  the  kind  which  ever  opened  the  salt 
waters  of  the  lake. 

In  the  autumn  of  1870,  conditions  called  for  the  presence 
of  a  strong  man  at  the  head  of  military  affairs  in  the  state, 
and  the  central  government,  knowing  their  man,  commis- 
sioned and  appointed  General  Connor  "Major  General  com- 
manding the  Utah  Territory,"  embracing  Utah,  Idaho  and 
Colorado.  The  crisis  having  passed,  he  again  retired  to  pri- 
vate life,  took  an  active  part  in  social  and  industrial  life 
around  him,  and  retained  to  the  last  the  good  will  and  re- 
spect of  all  classes  of  the  state  and  city. 

On  the  evening  of  December  17,  1891,  his  physicians 
pronounced  the  General  to  be  seriously  ill.  He  at  once  sent 
to  the  Bishop's  residence  a  confidential  friend  with  a 
message  for  Father  Kiely,  the  Vicar-General  of  the  diocese. 


280  THE   CATHOLIC   CHUKCH   IN   UTAH 

The  Vicar-General  immediately  hastened  to  the  bedside  of 
the  dying  general,  heard  his  confession  and  administered 
to  him  the  last  sacraments  of  the  Catholic  Church.  On  the 
19th  the  brave  soldier  and  honorable  man  expired,  and  two 
days  afterwards  was  buried  with  military  honors  and  the 
rites  of  his  Church.  He  died  as  he  had  lived,  a  Christian, 
with  the  resignation  of  a  devout  man,  the  fortitude  of  a  hero. 

"And  to  add  greater  honors  to  bis  age 
Than  man  could  give  him,  he  died  fearing  God." 

An  imposing  mortuary  shaft  rises  over  his  grave  in  the 
lonely  military  cemetery  at  Fort  Douglas.  The  fort  was 
his  creation.  He  saw  it  expand  from  a  collection  of  rough  log- 
shacks  to  the  imposing  group  of  buildings  which  impart  dig- 
nity to  the  commanding  plateau,  and  it  is  fit  and  proper  that 
within  sound  of  its  cannon  and  within  the  shadow  of  its  build- 
ings, he  should  sleep  his  last  sleep. 


CHAPTER  XX. 

Pioneer  Peiests. 

About  a  year  after  General  Connor  had  established  his 
headquarters  at  Fort  Douglas,  and  the  place  was  beginning 
to  take  on  the  appearance  of  a  garrison,  a  gentleman  on 
horseback  rode  into  the  post  and  asked  to  see  the  command- 
ing officer. 

"General,"  he  remarked,  after  he  was  introduced  to  and 
shook  hands  with  the  commanding  officer,  "I  am  a  Catholic 
priest,  the  Rev.  J.  B.  Raverdy,  from  Denver,  Colorado ;  may 
I  trouble  you  to  examine  my  credentials?"  After  carefully 
reading  the  letter  handed  to  him  by  the  priest,  the  General 
greeted  him  most  cordially  and  invited  him  to  be  his  guest 
while  he  remained  in  the  neighborhood.  Father  Raverdy 
lingered  some  weeks  searching  for  a  needle  in  a  haystack, 
that  is,  for  a  Catholic  in  Salt  Lake  City,  in  those  early  days. 

There  were  a  few  Catholics  among  the  soldiers  at  the 
Fort,  whose  confessions  he  heard  and  in  whose  presence  he 
daily  offered  up  the  Holy  Sacrifice.  On  the  morning  of  May 
11,  1864,  at  the  request  of  General  Connor,  he  blessed  the 
military  cemetery,  where  reposed  the  dead,  killed  in  the 
Bear  River  engagement. 

Father  Raverdy  was  the  first  priest  of  whom  there  is  any 
record,  that  entered  Salt  Lake  Valley  since  1841,  when 
Father  De  Smet  passed  through  on  his  way  to  the  Yellow- 
stone. 

The  Rev.  John  Baptist  Raverdy  was  born  in  the  city  of 
Rheims,  France,  in  June,  1831.  At  an  early  age  he  volun- 
teered for  the  missions,  and  came  to  Santa  Fe  in  1859, 
where  he  was  ordained  a  priest  by  Bishop  Lamy  in  the  au- 
tumn of  that  year. 

Soon  after  his  ordination  he  entered  the  Rocky  Moun- 
tain region  with  Father  Machebeuf,  afterwards  Bishop  of 
Denver,  and  late  in  the  evening  arrived,  Oct.  29,  1860,  with 


282  THE   CATHOLIC   CHURCH   IN   UTAH 

his  companion,  at  Denver,  then  a  collection  of  shacks,  tents 
and  rambling  frame  buildings. 

From  Denver  the  zealous  priest  made  excursions  into  Col- 
orado, Idaho  and  Utah,  in  quest  of  scattered  members  of  his 
Church.  He  lived  as  best  he  could,  slept  in  the  open  under  a 
buffalo  robe,  and  companioned  with  prospectors,  miners  and 
adventurers.  His  life  was  as  disinterestedly  missionary  as 
was  that  of  St.  Francis  Xavier. 

Father  Kaverdy  died  in  Denver,  on  the  18th  of  Novem- 
ber, 1889,  and  his  memory  still  lives  in  the  grateful  recollec- 
tion of  many  of  the  older  inhabitants  of  Colorado,  and  the 
citizens  of  Denver. 

The  Rev.  E.  Kelly. 

In  June,  1866,  the  Rev.  Edward  Kelly,  at  the  request  of 
Bishop  O'Connell,  of  Sacramento,  came  to  Salt  Lake,  round- 
ed up  the  few  Catholics  in  the  city,  and  taking  up  a  sub- 
scription, purchased  the  piece  of  ground  on  which  the  lately 
abandoned  cathedral  was  built.  Soon  after  the  purchase  it 
was  discovered  that  there  was  a  blemish  on  the  title  to  the 
lot.  To  avoid  litigation,  the  seller  and  buyer  agreed  to  sub- 
mit the  matter  in  dispute  to  the  Mormon  President,  Brigham 
Young,  and  stand  by  his  arbitration. 

The  President,  after  examining  the  deed  and  listening 
patiently  to  the  evidence,  decided  that  Father  Kelly  was 
right,  and  ordered  that  the  title  should  be  quieted,  all  claims 
against  the  ground  settled  by  the  seller,  and  the  deed  handed 
over  to  the  priest. 

Father  Kelly  said  his  first  public  Mass  in  Salt  Lake  in 
the  old  Assembly  Hall  of  the  Latter  Day  Saints,  courteously 
placed  at  his  disposal  by  the  President  and  Elders  of  the 
church.  After  administering  to  the  spiritual  demands  of  the 
handful  of  Catholics  then  in  the  city,  Father  Kelly  returned 
to  Sacramento. 

When  examining  the  diocesan  archives  we  came  across  the 
name  of  Father  Mesplie,  an  army  chaplain,  who  said  Mass 
for  the  Catholic  soldiers  of  Fort  Douglas  on  December  8, 


THE   CATHOLIC   CHURCH   IN   UTAH  283 

1870,  when  on  his  way  to  San  Francisco.  George  Rauscher, 
an  early  pioneer,  now  in  his  eightieth  year,  served  the  chap- 
lain's Mass,  and  was  married  the  same  morning  by  the  offi- 
ciating priest. 

The  Rev.  James  P.  Foley. 

On  February  5th,  1868,  Colorado  and  Utah  were  erected 
by  Papal  brief  into  a  Vicariate  Apostolic,  and  the  Very  Rev. 
Joseph  P.  Machebeuf  was,  on  August  16th,  consecrated  Bish- 
op in  St.  Peter's  Cathedral,  Cincinnati,  by  Archbishop  Pur- 
cell,  to  administer  the  new  vicariate.  Bishop  Machebeuf  es- 
tablished his  see  in  Denver,  and  almost  immediately  after  his 
return  appointed  the  Rev.  James  P.  Foley  pastor  of  Salt 
Lake  and  the  regional  territory.  Father  Foley  was  hospita- 
bly welcomed  by  his  Catholic  parishioners  who,  though  few 
in  number,  were  socially  prominent  and  influential. 

On  November  30,  1868,  Bishop  Machebeuf,  in  his  official 
capacity,  visited  Salt  Lake,  where  he  was  the  guest  of  Gen- 
eral Connor  during  the  week  he  remained  in  the  city.  The 
Bishop  visited  the  three  Catholic  families  then  residing  in 
Salt  Lake  and,  assembling  them  in  the  home  of  Judge  Mar- 
shall, prepared  them  for  the  sacraments;  and,  on  three  occa- 
sions, offered  up  the  Holy  Sacrifice  in  a  room  set  aside  as  a 
temporary  chapel.  At  the  Fort  he  gathered  around  him  every 
evening  the  Catholic  soldiers,  prepared  some  of  them  for 
confirmation  and  on  the  following  Sunday  administered  the 
Sacrament  of  Confirmation  to  fourteen.  On  the  8th  of  De- 
cember, Feast  of  the  Immaculate  Conception,  he  celebrated 
two  marriages  and  baptized  three  children  of  John  Sloan. 
On  December  10th,  Bishop  Machebeuf  left  for  Fort  Bridger 
on  his  way  to  Denver,  his  episcopal  city. 

On  the  lot  purchased  by  Father  Kelly  was  a  dilapidated 
adobe  structure.  This  humble  ruin  Father  Foley  repaired, 
and  on  Sundays  and  holy  days  offered  within  its  mud  walls 
the  Holy  Sacrifice,  and  taught  to  his  devout  little  flock  the 
doctrines  of  Apostolic  Christianity.  It  may  interest  our 
readers  to  read  over  the  roll  call  of  honor  of  those  who  as- 


284  THE   CATHOLIC    CHUECH   IN    UTAH 

sisted  at  Father  Foley's  Mass,  the  first  Sunday  possession 
was  taken  of  the  adobe  chapel.  Those  present  were  Judge 
Barron,  Mrs.  Governor  Vaughan,  Mrs.  T.  Marshall,  J.  J.  and 
T.  B.  O'Reilly,  J.  L.  Burns,  Mrs.  Simpkins  and  family,  and 
C.  L.  Dahier. 

Father  Foley  continued  his  labors  in  obscurity  and  pov- 
erty till  the  autumn  of  1870,  when  the  Holy  See,  at  the  ur- 
gent solicitation  of  Bishop  Machebeuf,  who,  in  1868,  visited 
Salt  Lake  in  his  official  character,  placed  Utah  under  the 
jurisdiction  of  Archbishop  Alemany,  of  San  Francisco. 
Father  Foley  now  returned  to  his  own  diocese,  Denver,  and 

The  Rev.  Patrick  'Walsh 
was  appointed  by  Archbishop  Alemany,  pastor  of  Salt  Lake. 
He  entered  upon  his  pastoral  duties  early  in  1871,  and  at 
once  began  interviewing  his  parishioners  touching  the  pros- 
pects of  erecting  a  church.  His  encouragement  was  sufficient 
to  induce  him  to  frame  a  subscription  list,  which  he  headed 
with  an  humble  donation  from  his  own  limited  means. 

As  a  result  of  his  own  untiring  efforts  and  the  generous 
support  he  received  from  the  citizens  of  Salt  Lake,  irrespec- 
tive of  creed,  the  chuch  of  St.  Mary  Magdalene,  on  Third 
East,  was  erected,  and  on  November  6,  1871,  was  conse- 
crated by  Archbishop  Alemany,  who  made  the  trying  journey 
from  San  Francisco  expressly  for  the  consecration.  In  the 
introduction  to  his  sermon  on  the  occasion,  the  Archbishop 
congratulated  those  present  on  the  imposing  appearance  of 
their  ecclesiastical  home,  and  expressed  his  appreciation  of 
the  generosity  of  the  friendly  people  who  had  contributed 
to  make  the  church  a  possibility.  This  was  the  first  Cath- 
olic church  consecrated  in  Utah,  and  around  it  are  grouped 
many  pathetic  scenes  and  consolitary  incidents  in  the  early 
communal  life  of  the  Catholics  of  Salt  Lake,  many  of  whom 
have,  since  its  opening,  entered  the  life  beyond  the  grave. 

Early  in  1872,  Father  Bouchard,  a  Jesuit  priest,  came 
by  invitation  of  the  pastor,  and  conducted  a  retreat,  popu- 
larly known  as  a  mission,  for  the  Catholics  of  the  city.  These 


THE    CATHOLIC    CHURCH   IN    UTAH  285 

popular  missions  have  their  origin  far  back  in  the  history 
of  the  Church,  and  experience  and  results  have  proved  them 
to  be  of  incalculable  value  to  a  community  and  to  individual 
souls.  During  the  days  of  the  mission  the  members  of  the 
congregation  assemble  in  a  body  in  the  church  at  stated 
hours,  and,  after  worshiping  God,  are  addressed  by  the  mis- 
sion priest  on  a  particular  subject  bearing  upon  the  duty  in- 
dividual man  owes  to  God,  to  his  neighbor,  to  himself.  Ser- 
mons are  delivered  on  the  gravity  of  mortal  sin,  on  the  four 
great  truths, — death,  judgment,  heaven  and  hell.  In  fact,, 
a  mission  is  a  spiritual  awakening,  a  time  when  the  human 
soul  is  asked  to  commune  with  itself,  to  enter  upon  an  exam- 
ination of  its  health,  and  ask  itself  the  question:  "How  fares 
it  with  me,  and  what  will  be  my  judgment  when  my  eyes  are 
closed  in  death  V 

As  this  was  the  first  mission  given  in  Salt  Lake,  the 
church  was  always  crowded  at  the  spiritual  exercises  by 
Catholics  and  non-Catholics,  drawn  to  the  church  by  devotion 
or  curiosity. 

Father  Walsh  remained  as  pastor  of  St.  Mary's  until 
July,  1873,  when  he  was  recalled  by  his  Archbishop  and  .pro- 
moted to  another  charge  in  California,  where  he  died  Decem- 
ber 23,  1884.  During  his  pastorship  of  the  parish  he  effected 
much  good,  and,  when  he  retired,  he  carried  with  him  into 
his  new  field  of  labor  the  love  of  his  parishioners  and  the  re- 
spect and  esteem  of  those  who  were  not  of  his  flock.  When 
taking  farewell  of  his  people  he  expressed  his  deep  regret 
that,  notwithstanding  his  efforts,  there  yet  remained  on  the 
church  a  debt  of  $6,000,  which,  he  feared,  would  greatly  dis- 
hearten his  successor,  owing  to  the  numerical  weakness  of 
the  congregation. 

When  Archbishop  Alemany  sought  in  his  diocese  for  a 
successor  to  Father  Walsh,  he  was  confronted  with  a  serious 
problem.  Salt  Lake  was  enlarging  its  civic  boundaries,  min- 
ing camps  were  increasing  in  the  mountains,  and  the  re- 
sources of  the  state  were  being  exploited.    To  meet  the  exi- 


286  THE   CATHOLIC    CHURCH   IN   UTAH 

gencies  of  the  time  and  region,  and  visit  the  distant  mining 
towns,  demanded  a  priest  physically  strong,  dowered  with 
prudence,  and  fortified  with  exceptional  strength  of  soul  and 
mind.  The  Archbishop  had  canonically  the  power  to  order 
any  of  his  priests  to  this  distant  and  rugged  region,  but  his 
tender  and  kindly  heart  was  opposed  to  the  exercise  of  his 
authority  where  the  command  involved  great  privation, 
much  self-denial  and  unavoidable  suffering. 

There  was  then  at  Petaluma,  one  of  the  promising  towns 
of  his  diocese,  a  stalwart  young  priest,  who  had  come  to  him 
from  Ireland  a  few  years  before,  and  whom,  in  recognition 
of  his  valuable  services  as  assistant  priest  in  San  Francisco, 
the  Archbishop  had  promoted  to  the  pastorate  of  Petaluma. 

His  Grace  sent  for  him,  outlined  the  hardships  of  the  va- 
cant parish  of  Salt  Lake,  the  debt  upon  the  church  and  the 
difficulties  to  be  encountered  in  reaching  the  remote  mining 
camps  in  the  mountains.  At  once  the  young  priest  yielded 
to  the  entreaties  of  the  Archbishop,  returned  to  Petaluma 
and  settled  his  affairs,  bade  "good  bye"  to  his  people,  and, 
on  August  14,  1873,  Rev.  Lawrence  Scanlan,  now  Bishop  of 
Salt  Lake  and  Utah,  entered  Salt  Lake  in  the  prime  of  his 
young  manhood,  and  almost  in  the  early  morning  of  Bis 
priestly  ordination.  On  that  eventful  and  auspicious  even- 
ing, when  concluding  his  devotions,  he  might  have  said  with 
the  aged  patriarch:  "Hie  requiscam,  quoniam  elegi  earn — 
here  will  I  remain,  since  I  myself  have  chosen  it." 


EDUCATIONAL  AND 

CHARITABLE  INSTITUTIONS 

OF  THE  DIOCESE 


o 


5 


CHAPTER  XXI. 

The  Makist  Fathers. 

All  Hallows  College,  Salt  Lake  City,  is  one  of  the  high- 
class  educational  establishments  for  which  Utah  and  the  In- 
termountain  states  are  winning  distinction.  This  admirable 
seat  of  learning  was  handed  over  by  its  founder,  Bishop 
Scanlan,  in  1889,  to  the  Marist  Fathers. 

Now  who  are  the  Marists,  as  they  are  familiarly  known, 
and  how,  and  when  did  they  come  into  existence? 

The  Society  of  Mary  was  founded  in  the  beginning  of  the 
nineteenth  century  by  a  French  priest  of  the  diocese  of  Ly- 
ons (France),  named  Jean  Claude  Marie  Colin.  The  idea  of 
a  religious  society  dedicated  to  the  Blessed  Virgin  had  orig- 
inated with  a  group  of  seminarians  at  St.  Irenee,  near  Ly- 
ons. Although  the  most  retiring  and  modest  of  the  group, 
Father  Colin  became  the  real  founder.  While  serving  as  as- 
sistant pastor  in  the  town  of  Cerdon,  he  drew  up  provisional 
rules,  which  met  the  hearty  approval  of  several  bishops  and 
of  Mgr.  Frayssinous,  then  Minister  of  Ecclesiastical  Affairs 
in  France.  The  town  of  Cerdon  having  passed  to  the  newly 
reorganized  diocese  of  Belley,  Father  Colin  obtained  from 
its  Bishop,  Mgr.  Devie,  permission  to  take  a  few  companions 
and  preach  missions  in  the  neglected,  parts  of  the  diocese. 
The  little  community  soon  increased  in  number,  and  though 
the  Bishop  would  have  preferred  to  see  it  remain  a  simple 
diocesan  congregation,  Father  Colin  obtained,  in  1836,  from 
Gregory  XVI  the  canonical  approbation  of  the  Society  of 
Mary,  as  an  order  with  simple  vows.  In  the  same  year 
Father  Colin  was  chosen  Superior-General. 

Besides  the  Fathers,  the  Society  of  Mary,  in  Father  Co- 
lin's  mind,  comprised  several  other  branches:  The  Brother 
coadjutors,  the  teaching  Brothers,  the  Sisters,  the  Contem- 
plative Branch  and  the  Third  Order  of  Mary.  All  these 
branches  are  now    in    existence.      The    Brother  coadjutors 


288  THE   CATHOLIC    CHURCH   IN   UTAH 

were  the  first  to  be  organized,  and  they  have  ever  since 
helped  the  Fathers  in  their  ministry.  Father  Colin  also 
founded  the  Third  Order  of  Mary  for  persons  wishing  to  live 
a  religious  life  in  the  world,  and  the  Order  is  now  flourish- 
ing in  most  missions  and  parishes  entrusted  to  the  Marist 
Fathers.  Again  the  branch  of  the  Marist  Sisters  was  the 
direct  result  of  Father  Colin 's  efforts;  they  form  now  an 
order  independent  in  administration  from  that  of  the  Marist 
Fathers,  but  the  same  spirit  animates  their  rules  and  their 
constitutions;  they  have  now  colleges  and  academies  in 
France,  England  and  Oceanica.  The  two  other  branches  of 
the  Society  of  Mary  are  also  independent  of  the  Marist  Fath- 
ers; that  of  the  Brothers,  who  are  called  "The  Little  Broth- 
ers of  Mary,"  was  founded  by  Father  Champagnat,  one  of 
the  first  Marists,  and  is  now  the  most  numerous  of  the  Mar- 
ist organizations,  having  rapidly  spread  almost  over  every 
part  of  the  world.  Finally  the  contemplative  branch,  largely 
as  planned  by  Father  Colin,  was  organized,  though  long  after 
the  latter 's  death,  by  Father  Eymard,  likewise  a  Marist,  and 
is  now  known  as  "The  Fathers  of  the  Blessed  Sacrament." 

But  we  are  concerned  here  only  with  the  Marist  Fathers 
— the  first  creation  of  Father  Colin.  The  name  they  bear — 
Marist  Fathers,  Society  of  Mary — sufficiently  tells  under 
whose  patronage  and  in  whose  spirit  they  devote  themselves, 
both  to  their  own  sanctification  and  to  that  of  their  neigh- 
bor, particularly  of  the  poor  and  of  those  most  destitute  of 
religious  comforts.      * 

After  the  approbation  of  the  order  in  1836,  at  spread  rap- 
idly, first  in  France,  where  numerous  missionary  houses  and 
colleges  were  founded;  then  in  Oceanica,  which  had  been  en- 
trusted to  the  Society  by  Gregory  XVI,  and  where,  during 
Father  Colin's  administration  (183G-1854),  over  a  hun- 
dred Marists  were  sent,  several  of  whom  gave  up  their 
life  in  the  attempt  to  convert  the  natives;  later  in  England, 
Ireland,  and  the  United  States. 

Already,  in  1847,  Mgr.  Mathias  Loras,  Bishop  of  Du- 
buque  (Iowa),  had  asked  Father  Colin  to  send  him. some 


THE    CATHOLIC    CHURCH   IN   UTAH  289 

Marists  for  his  diocese.  But  on  account  of  the  small  num- 
ber of  subjects  at  the  time  the  request  could  not  be  granted. 

In  1862  Mgr.  J.  M.  Odin,  first  Bishop  of  Texas,  and  who 
had  been  lately  transferred  to  the  archiepiscopal  see  of  New 
Orleans,  addressed  a  similar  request  to  Father  Favre,  who 
had  succeeded  Father  Colin  as  Superior-General  of  the  Soci- 
ety of  Mary,  and  requested  so  urgently  that  some  members 
of  the  order  were  sent  to  Louisiana. 

The  parish  of  St.  Michael,  about  fifty  miles  north  of  New 
Orleans,  on  the  Mississippi  River,  was  the  first  Marist  house 
in  America.  Others  were  to  follow  a  few  years  after.  Jef- 
ferson College,  and  the  parish  of  the  Holy  Name  of  Mary, 
both  in  Louisiana,  were  soon  also  confided  to  their  charge. 

Later  other  foundations  followed.  Parishes  were  ac- 
cepted in  Massachusetts,  Maine,  California,  Minnesota.  An- 
other college  was  founded  in  Van  Buren  (Maine),  and  in 
1889,  the  Society  of  Mary  assumed  control  of  All  Hallows 
College  in  Salt  Lake  City. 

ALL  HALLOWS  COLLEGE. 

All  Hallows  College  was  founded  by  Right  Rev.  Bishop 
Scanlan  in  1885.  The  growing  number  of  Catholics  in  Utah 
and  the  neighboring  states  made  it  imperative  to  build  a 
school  where  Catholic  parents  could  procure  for  their  chil- 
dren the  advantage  of  a  good  Christian  education.  At  the 
time  not  only  were  there  no  Catholic  schools  for  several  hun- 
dred miles  around,  but  the  public  schools  themselves  were 
scarce  in  this  sparsely  inhabited  section.  The  westerners 
living  on  ranches  or  in  mining  camps  enjoyed  no  educational 
facilities,  and  the  foundation  of  a  Catholic  college  in  Salt 
Lake  marked  a  bold  but  decisive  step  in  the  history  of  the 
Catholic  Church  in  the  West. 

All  Hallows  College  was  the  third  Catholic  institution  in 
the  city  of  Salt  Lake  founded  by  Bishop,  or  rather,  Father 
Scanlan,  who  was  then  missionary  rector,  the  city  of  Salt 
Lake,  being  a  part  of  the  Archdiocese  of  San  Francisco.  St. 
Mary's  Academy  and  the  Hospital  of  the  Holy  Cross  were 


29U  THE   CATHOLIC   CHUKCH   IN   UTAH 

founded  in  1875.  In  fact,  the  ground  on  which  All  Hallows 
now  stands  was  acquired  in  1881,  for  the  purpose  of  erecting 
there  the  Holy  Cross  Hospital,  which  had  been  until  then  lo- 
cated temporarily  in  a  rented  house  on  Fifth  East,  between 
South  Temple  and  First  South  streets;  but  before  work  on 
the  building  was  begun,  Father  Scanlan  resolved  to  buy  a 
larger  tract  of  land  for  the  hospital  on  Eleventh  East,  and  to 
set  apart  the  smaller  but  more  central  lot  for  educational 
purposes.  Four  years  later,  in  1885,  plans  of  the  building 
which  forms  the  east  wing  of  the  present  structure,  were 
made  by  Henry  Monheim.  Ground  was  broken  and  the  work 
of  construction  begun.  In  September  of  the  following  year, 
classes  were  organized.  Rev.  P.  Blake,  who  was  then  pastor 
of  Park  City,  Utah,  and  is  now  pastor  of  St.  Helena,  Cal., 
was  selected  as  president  of  the  new  institution.  The  first 
year  it  was  opened  115  pupils  were  enrolled.  Of  these  49 
were  boarders  and  66  day  pupils.  The  following  year,  1887, 
the  school  term  began  with  70  boarders  and  83  day  pupils. 

Soon  after  the  opening  of  All  Hallows  College,  in  Sep- 
tember, 1886,  Father  Scanlan  received  news  of  his  appoint- 
ment as  Bishop  of  Salt  Lake.  After  his  consecration  in  San 
Francisco,  on  June  29,  1887,  he  returned  to  Salt  Lake  and 
made  All  Hallows  College  his  episcopal  residence;  he  re- 
mained there  until  August,  1889,  taking  an  active  part  in 
the  administration  of  the  college.  But  to  fulfill  the  office  of 
Bishop  of  such  a  large  diocese  and  at  the  same  time  to  direct 
successfully  a  struggling  young  institution,  was  soon  found 
next  to  impossible.  Besides  the  priests  of  the  diocese  were 
few,  and  could  only  with  the  greatest  sacrifice  to  parochial 
and  missionary  work  be  spared  for  the  teaching  faculty  of 
All  Hallows.  Hence,  in  1889,  Bishop  Scanlan  entered  into 
negotiations  with  a  religious  order  then  little  known  in  the 
West — the  Society  of  Mary.  Father  Leterier,  Provincial  of 
the  order  in  the  United  States,  came  to  Salt  Lake  to  confer 
with  the  Bishop,  and  finally  accepted  the  direction  of  All 
Hallows  College. 

The  college  had  then  three  years  of  existence.   The  Revs. 


THE    CATHOLIC   CHURCH   IN   UTAH  291 

Fathers  Fox,  Guinan  and  Delahaye,  were  selected  by  the 
superiors  of  the  Society  of  Mary  to  take  charge  of  the  work, 
with  Father  Fox  as  president.  The  remainder  of  the  faculty 
was  made  up  of  lay  teachers.  Trials  awaited  the  newcomers, 
and  the  beginning  was  discouraging  enough.  Father  Fox,  on 
account  of  ill  health,  had  to  leave  the  college  for  a  change 
of  air,  and  went  to  California;  the  absence  was  intended  to 
be  only  temporary,  but  his  condition  did  not  allow  him  to 
return  to  Salt  Lake.  Father  Forestier,  who  had  replaced 
Father  Leterier  as  Provincial  of  the  Society  of  Mary  in  the 
U.  S.,  assumed  the  charge  of  president  for  a  few  months.  To 
add  to  the  misfortunes  of  the  struggling  institution,  an  epi- 
demic of  diphtheria  broke  out  among  the  boys,  and  out  of 
the  thirty  or  thirty-five  boarders,  eight  or  ten  were  confined 
to  Holy  Cross  Hospital,  sick  with  the  dangerous  disease. 

In  the  beginning  of  1890  Father  J.  B.  Chataignier  was 
appointed  Superior  to  relieve  Father  Forestier  of  a  charge 
which  it  was  impossible  for  him  to  carry  on  at  the  same 
time  as  that  of  Provincial.  But  again  the  prospects  remained 
rather  dark  during  his  administration.  Father  Chataignier 
was  an  old  missionary,  a  man  of  advanced  years  and  of  great 
experience.  But  the  life  of  college  President  was  not  con- 
genial to  him,  and  he  welcomed  ,the  news  of  the  appointment 
of  Father  Henry  as  his  successor.     This  was  in  1891. 

Father  Henry  had  been  Superior  of  Jefferson  College, 
Louisiana,  and  was  a  man  in  every  way  fitted  for  the  diffi- 
cult work  which  awaited  him  in  Salt  Lake.  He  had  great 
talent  for  organization,  and  was  an  excellent  disciplinarian. 
During  the  three  years  that  he  remained  in  charge  order 
and  discipline  prevailed,  and  those  three  years  mark  the  be- 
ginning of  a  new  era  for  All  Hallows  College.  But  he  was 
in  poor  health,  and  again  a  change  became  necessary.  He 
had  to  return  to  Louisiana,  where  his  health  continued  to 
fail,  and  he  died  soon  after  his  return. 

In  1894  Father  Thos.  J.  Larkin  took  charge  of  the  col- 
lege, and  during  six  years  he  was  untiring  in  his  efforts  to 
promote  its  success.    Thanks  to  his  earnestness  and  activity, 


292  THE   CATHOLIC    CHURCH   IN    UTAH 

Ail  Hallows  became  more  prosperous  than  ever.  He  was  ef- 
fectively seconded  in  his  labor  by  Father  B.  Mader,then  Vice- 
President,  Prefect  of  Discipline  and  Musical  Director,  and 
to  him  also  the  college  owes  a  large  debt  of  gratitude. 

In  November,  1897,  the  Very  Rev.  J.  C.  Baffin,  now  Supe- 
rior-General of  the  Society  of  Mary,  but  then  Special  Visit- 
or of  the  Marist  houses  in  the  United  States,  was  the  guest 
of  Father  Larkin.  He  expressed  himself  again  and  again  as 
delighted  with  the  excellent  work  already  done  by  the  col- 
lege, the  good  discipline  and  the  excellent  spirit  that  reigned 
in  the  institution. 

During  the  scholastic  year  1898-1899,  an  important  step 
Was  taken  in  the  history  of  All  Hallows  College.  The  build- 
ing on  Second  South  was  now  inadequate  to  meet  the  de- 
mands. A  small  house  on  Fourth  East  was  rented,  and  an- 
other on  Second  South  was  bought,  to  be  used  as  professors' 
quarters;  but  this  was  only  a  temporary  solution  of  the 
problem,  and  it  was  evident  that  it  would  soon  become  neces- 
sary either  to  enlarge  the  old  college  or  to  build  on  some 
other  site.  The  latter  plan  was  thought  better,  and  a  forty- 
acre  tract  of  land  was  purchased  on  the  bench  just  east  of 
Liberty  Park.  The  site  is  probably  the  finest  around  the 
city  of  Salt  Lake  for  the  location  of  a  boarding  school. 

The  proposition  was  received  with  the  greatest  favor  by 
the  friends  of  the  college,  and  with  enthusiasm  by  the  boys 
and  alumni.  More  than  twenty  students  subscribed  from 
$500  down  to  $100,  and  agreed  that  every  cent  of  it  would 
be  paid  from  their  own  earnings  after  leaving  college.  The 
money  thus  subscribed  was  to  form  an  endowment  fund  for 
a  "Greater  All  Hallows." 

As  it  was,  the  "Greater  All  Hallows"  on  the  hill  which 
overlooks  the  city  and  the  valley  of  Salt  Lake,  never  became 
an  accomplished  fact,  but  this  incident  illustrates  the  influ- 
ence of  Father  Larkin  over  the  boys. 

In  1902  Father  Larkin  was  appointed  rector  of  the 
Church  of  the  Holy  Name  of  Mary,  at  Algiers,  Louisiana, 
and  Father  J.  J.  Guinan,  then  Vice-Superior  of  the  Marist 


THE    CATHOLIC    CHURCH   IN   UTAH  293 

College,  Atlanta,  became  President  of  All  Hallows  College. 
Father  Guinan  was  by  no  means  unknown  in  Salt  Lake.  He 
was  one  of  the  three  Marist  Fathers  who  came  in  1889,  when 
the  college  was  confided  by  Bishop  Scanlan  to  the  care  of 
the  Society  of  Mary,  and  he  had  remained  there  for  eight 
years  as  professor,  spiritual  director,  and  later  Vice-Presi- 
dent. He  was  welcomed  back  by  his  numerous  friends  and 
hailed  as  the  real  founder  of  ''Greater  All  Hallows."  How- 
ever, an  important  change  was  made  in  Father  Larkin's 
plans.  The  need  of  a  larger  college  was  more  imperative 
than  ever;  during  the  scholastic  year  1901-1902,  the  number 
of  students  was  larger  than  ever  before,  the  roll  showing 
for  that  year  123  boarders,  besides  the  day  boys.  The  class- 
rooms, the  dormitories,  the  dining-rooms,  the  chapel  were  all 
too  small.  After  mature  consideration  of  the  pros  and 
cons,  it  was  decided  to  build,  not  a  new  college  on  the  prop- 
erty acquired  by  Father  Larkin,  but  a  large  addition  to 
the  old  structure.  For  this  it  was  necessary  to  buy  first  a 
tract  of  land  adjoining  the  college  grounds.  Then,  under 
Father  Guinan 's  direction,  a  large  and  handsome  building 
and  a  new  chapel  were  erected  at  the  cost  of  nearly  $100,- 
000.  The  new  building  contains  sixty  rooms,  besides  a  fine- 
ly equipped  gymnasium. 

The  dedication  of  the  new  wing  and  of  the  college  chapel 
took  place  on  Sunday,  September  6th,  in  the  presence  of  an 
immense  crowd.  The  Right  Rev.  Bishop  Scanlan,  assisted 
by  the  college  faculty  and  a  number  of  visiting  priests,  pre- 
sided on  the  occasion.  At  the  close  the  Right  Rev.  Bishop, 
in  a  few  well-chosen  words,  complimented  the  Fathers  on  the 
great  work  inaugurated.  But  it  was  indeed  a  credit  to  the 
Bishop  himself,  who  had  first  laid  his  hand  to  the  work  and 
founded  All  Hallows  College  at  a  time  when  no  one  dreamed 
of  its  future  growth  and  success. 

The  chapel  erected  between  the  old  and  the  new  building 
is  Romanesque  in  architecture  and  quite  devotional  in  its 
interior  finish.    The  altar  is  a  work  of  art,  also  Romanesque 


294  THE   CATHOLIC    CHUECH   IN   UTAH 

in  style,  of  white  Carrara  marble,  with  onyx  pillars,  having 
burnished  gold  trimmings,  while  there  is  a  lofty  canopy  of 
marble  and  burnished  copper  that  sets  off  the  whole  to  ad- 
vantage. Fourteen  windows  of  Munich  stained  glass,  of  the 
most  beautiful  coloring,  add  very  much  to  the  charm  and  the 
devotional  character  of  the  chapel. 

The  college  offers  classical,  scientific  and  commercial 
courses,  in  addition  to  preparatory  courses  for  young  boys. 
Among  the  features  of  the  college  is  an  excellent  museum 
containing  carefully  classified  collections.  Owing  to  the 
kindness  of  friends  of  the  college,  this  museum  is  being  rap- 
idly added  to,  and  will  compare  favorably  with  museums 
found  in  institutions  of  eastern  cities. 

The  artistic  side  of  the  school  work  is  cultivated  by  means 
of  excellent  musical  and  dramatic  organizations.  The  Col- 
lege band  and  orchestra  have  always  received  high  praise 
from  those  who  are  familiar  with  their  work. 

In  athletics  All  Hallows  has  won  a  foremost  place  among 
the  collegiate  institutes  and  state  universities  of  the  west, 
and  as  the  college  has  for  years  emphasized  the  importance 
of  calisthenics  and  military  training,  it  rightly  prides  itself 
on  its  splendid  cadet  battalion. 

Under  the  able  presidency  of  Very  Eev.  Dr.  Guinan,  sup- 
ported by  an  efficient  staff  of  specialists  in  their  respective 
departments,  All  Hallows  College  is  doing  excellent  work. 

The  records  existing  since  the  Marist  Fathers  were  in- 
vited by  the  Ordinary  of  the  diocese  to  assume  the  manage- 
ment and  direct  the  destinies  of  All  Hallows,  indicate  a 
growing  appreciation  on  the  part  of  the  public  of  the  prac- 
tical education  given  in  its  class  rooms. 

In  the  scholastic  year  of  1894-95  there  were  entered  on 
the  College  register  74  students,  and  the  attendance  steadily 
increased  during  Father  Larkin's  administration,  which  con- 
tinued until  1902,  when  Dr.  Gruinan  was  elected  to  the  Presi- 
dency. This  year,  1909,  there  are  225  students  on  the  roll, 
and  if  the  list  continues  to  swell,  the  faculty  will  be  forced 
to  again  enlarge  the  college. 


CHAPTER  XXII. 

The  Sistekhood  of  the  Holy  Ckoss. 
Its  Origin  and  Expansion  in  Our  Republic. 

When  we  begin  to  review  the  splendid  work  the  Sisters 
of  Holy  Cross  have  done  and  are  doing  in  the  Diocese  of  Salt 
Lake,  we  naturally  wish  to  be  informed  on  the  origin  of  the 
Society,  and  particularly  of  the  fortituitous  combination  of 
circumstances  which  happily  conspired  to  introduce  the  Sis- 
ters of  Holy  Cross  to  America  and  in  an  especial  manner  to 
Utah. 

The  Catholic  Church  is  the  prolific  mother  of  religious 
orders  and  institutions  established  continuously  from  the 
morning  of  the  third  century  down  to  our  own  times.  Im- 
mediately following  the  peace  of  the  Church  in  the  Roman 
Empire,  the  religious  orders  of  Thebaide  and  Palestine,  of 
Lerins  and  Marmoutier  were  founded,  and  rolled  back  the 
sea  of  Arian  heresy  which  threatened  to  submerge  Europe 
and  Asia.  From  that  time  until  our  own  day,  religious  or- 
ders have  flourished  in  the  Christian  republic  of  the  imper- 
ishable Church,  and  by  their  untiring  energy  and  heroic  la- 
bors have  civilized  and  converted  to  the  faith  of  Jesus  Christ 
nations,  tribes  and  peoples.  Many  of  these  religious  organiz- 
ations were  established  to  face  and  defeat  a  dangerous 
emergency  which  threatened  the  civilization  of  a  particular 
people,  and  disbanded  when  the  object  for  which  the  order 
was  founded  had  been  accomplished.  Others  were  organized 
for  the  alleviation  of  human  suffering,  like  the  "  Society  for 
the  Redemption  of  Christian  Prisoners"  taken  in  war  by  the 
Turks  and  held  in  bondage.  When  advancing  civilization  in 
Asia  and  conditions  in  the  Orient  made  for  an  exchange  of 
prisoners  of  war,  the  Society  for  the  Redemption  of  Captives 
dissolved. 

But  great  orders  founded  for  the  conversion  of  savage 
and  infidel  races,  for  the  education  of  the  masses,  the  higher 


296  THE   CATHOLIC    CHURCH   IN   UTAH 

development  of  the  intellect,  for  the  assuagement  of  human 
sorrow  and  suffering,  the  care  of  the  orphan,  the  aged  and 
the  hopelessly  poor,  remain  as  living  and  active  organiza- 
tions; for  the  demands  of  illiteracy,  of  poverty  and  human 
suffering  are  appealing  and  will  ever  appeal  to  the  charity 
of  the  Christian  heart. 

There  was  never,  in  the  history  of  Christianity,  any  great 
crisis  threatening  the  stability  of  established  order,  there  was 
never  a  social  condition  so  deranged  and  hopeless  among  a 
civilized  people,  that  God  did  not  inspire  some  one  man,  like 
St.  Bernard,  St.  Francis,  or  a  Peter  the  Hermit,  to  appear 
and  meet  the  crisis  or  the  condition. 

In  the  history  of  the  world,  since  the  Noachic  Deluge,  we 
find  no  record  of  any  social  or  national  cataclysm  compara- 
ble to  or  paralleling  the  French  Revolution  of  the  18th  cen- 
tury. It  was  a  racial  madness  unequaled  in  the  history  of 
our  race,  and  may  never  again  occur  in  the  life  of  the  race. 
It  was  a  satanic  uprising  of  the  French  nation  against  God, 
followed  by  an  attack  on  everyone  and  every  institution  that 
stood  by  or  for  God  in  the  demoniac  war  on  Jesus  Christ. 

When,  by  the  providential  apparition  of  one  man,  the  na- 
tional revolt  against  the  Supreme  Being  was  crushed  and 
order  re-established,  the  ruin  was  appalling.  A  people  with- 
out a  God  or  gods  is  an  impossibility. 

When  Bonaparte  fought  his  way  to  a  throne  and  con- 
quered an  empire,  he  at  once  opened  communication  with  the 
Sovereign  Pontiff  and  re-established  religion  in  France. 
Churches  were  cleansed,  purified  and  reconsecrated,  isolated 
and  exiled  priests  were  summoned  from  the  mountains  and 
recalled  from  foreign  lands,  the  older  religious  orders  were 
re-established  in  their  monasteries,  and  to  meet  the  altered 
conditions  of  society  new  religious  congregations  were  or- 
ganized. 

Conspicuous  among  the  communities  which  came  into  ex- 
istence soon  after  the  Napoleonic  Concordat  was  signed  by 
Rome  and  Paris,  was  the  religious  congregation  known  to  us 
as  that  of  "The  Holy  Cross." 

Like  all  great  and  permanent  institutions  of  the  Church, 


o 


THE   CATHOLIC   CHUKCH   IN   UTAH  297 

the  society  began  humbly,  in  comparative  obscurity,  and 
without  any  blare  of  trumpets.  Its  founder  was  a  pious 
priest  named  Basil  Moreau,  who  was  known  to  his  intimates 
as  a  man  of  profound  learning,  of  unblemished  life,  and  of  a 
piety  that  was  at  once  magnetic  and  admirable.  Gathering 
around  him  a  few  of  his  priestly  companions,  men  all  aglow 
with  divine  enthusiasm  and  love  for  souls,  Basil  Moreau 
established,  with  Papal  sanction,  the  Association  of  the 
Holy  Cross.  The  Society  adopted  for  its  motto  the  words 
of  our  Divine  Lord  to  His  disciples:  "Unless  you  take  up 
your  cross  and  follow  Me  you  can  have  no  part  with  Me." 
The  members  went  two  by  two,  from  one  end  of  infidel 
France  to  the  other,  exhorting,  visiting,  praying  and  preach- 
ing "Christ  and  Him  Crucified." 

Then  was  formed  into  a  pious  community  a  number  of 
devout  young  women,  afterwards  canonically  grouped  into  an 
organization  known  as  the  "Sisterhood  of  the  Holy  Cross." 
The  chief  aims  of  the  sisterhood  were  directed  to  the  moral, 
religious  and  intellectual  training  of  young  girls,  to  the  pro- 
tection, care  for  and  education  of  orphans,  as  wards  of 
Christ,  and  to  the  nursing  of  the  sick,  the  assuagement  of 
human  sorrow  and  human  suffering  in  public  hospitals. 

Thus  sixty-nine  years  ago,  on  September  29,  1841,  in  a 
little  convent  chapel  in  the  city  of  Le  Mans,  France,  the  foun- 
dation was  laid  of  the  sisterhood  of  the  Holy  Cross,  whose 
members  to-day,  in  America  alone,  number  more  than  one 
thousand,  and  whose  generous  devotion  to  the  wounded  of  the 
Northern  Army  during  the  trying  times  of  the  Eebellion  and 
the  Spanish  war  endeared  them  to  the  hearts  of  the  Amer- 
ican people.  In  June,  1843,  four  Sisters  of  the  Holy  Cross 
sailed  from  France  for  America.  They  came  by  invitation 
of  Bishop  Hailandiere,  of  Vincennes,  Indiana,  and  on  the 
urgent  solicitation  of  Very  Rev.  Father  Sorin,  who  in  Au- 
gust, 1841,  introduced  the  Congregation  of  the  Holy  Cross  to 
America. 

These  four  Sisters  began  their  arduous  noviate  in  Indiana 
under  trying  circumstances,  and  in  a  region  that  was  then 


298  THE   CATHOLIC   CHUKCH   IN    UTAH 

practically  a  wilderness.  They  were  the  first  volunteers  en- 
rolled for  service  in  America,  and  their  names  and  memory 
are  held  in  benediction  by  the  members  of  the  sisterhood. 

The  most  conspicuous  member  of  this  community  of  holy 
women  in  America  was  Mother  M.  Angela,  who  died  March, 
1887.  She  was  virtually  the  foundress  of  the  Sisters  of  the 
Holy  Cross  in  our  republic.  Her  untiring  zeal,  her  devotion 
to  duty,  and  her  unobtrusive  piety  won  the  admiration  of 
her  companions  in  religion  and  of  all  who  were  privileged 
to  know  her.  For  thirty  years  she  filled  the  office  of  Supe- 
rior of  the  sisterhood  in  America,  and  under  her  adminis- 
tration were  molded  the  majority  of  the  Sisters  who  to-day, 
by  their  refinement  of  manner  and  courteous  bearing,  are 
winning  the  respect  and  admiration  of  the  communities 
among  whom  their  institutions  are  established. 

WHEN   THE   SISTERS   CAME   TO   UTAH. 

In  1875  the  Right  Eeverend  Bishop  Scanlan  was  mission- 
ary rector  of  Salt  Lake.  With  prophetic  vision  he  predicted 
a  great  future  for  the  city  and  the  state  of  Utah.  He  fore- 
saw the  expansion  of  his  own  congregation,  then  numerically 
weak,  and  resolved  to  anticipate  growth  of  city  and  the  in- 
crease of  the  Catholic  population.  The  Catholic  Church,  in 
every  period  of  her  marvelous  history,  has,  through  her  bish- 
ops and  priests,  endeavored  to  protect  and  shelter  the  poor 
and  the  orphaned,  to  develop  the  human  intellect  to  the  high- 
'est  possible  efficiency,  to  impart  to  her  subjects  graciousness 
of  manner,  and  to  relieve  physical  suffering  whenever  and 
wherever  possible. 

To  co-operate  with  her  in  accomplishing  her  laudable  de- 
signs for  the  uplifting  of  the  human  race,  the  Church,  in  all 
ages,  founded  religious  societies  of  men  and  women,  and  on 
these  societies  she  invoked  the  blessing  of  the  Holy  Spirit 
and  assigned  them  to  respective  spheres  of  occupation  and 
duty. 

When  the  time  came  for  the  representative  of  the  Catholic 
Church  in  Utah  to  call  to  his  assistance  one  of  the  religious 
organizations  already  firmly  established  in  the  East,  he  se- 


THE    CATHOLIC   CHURCH   ]N   UTAH  299 

lected,  as  his  choice,  the  sisterhood  of  the  Holy  Cross,  and 
invited  the  community  to  come  to  Salt  Lake  and  open  a 
school  for  the  education  and  training  of  girls.  Answering 
the  call  from  the  West,  two  Sisters,  Mother  M.  Augusta  and 
Sister  Raymond,  left  their  conventual  home  at  Our  Lady  of 
the  Lake,  Indiana,  and  June  6,  1875,  entered  the  then  myste- 
rious and  romantic  city  of  Salt  Lake. 

The  Sisters  were  received  by  Mrs.  T.  Marshall  on  alight- 
ing from  the  train,  and  driven  to  her  hospitable  home,  where 
they  remained  as  guests  of  the  family  until  the  little  adobe 
cottage — as  unpretentious  as  the  Home  of  Nazareth — on 
First  West  street,  was  completed  and  opened  as  a  convent 
and  school. 

st.  maky's  academy. 

The  citizens  of  Salt  Lake  enjoy  a  reputation  abroad  for 
shrewdness  of  observation,  appreciation  of  a  good  thing 
when  they  meet  it,  and  generosity  in  the  encouragement  of 
meritorious  effort. 

When  they  became  convinced  that  the  city  possessed  a 
valuable  asset  in  the  presence  among  them  of  the  sisterhood 
of  the  Holy  Cross,  they  answered  generously  an  appeal  for 
the  better  housing  of  the  Sisters. 

From  the  snug  little  adobe  cottage  to  the  imposing  Acad- 
emy they  now  occupy  the  transition  was  a  necessity,  for  the 
increasing  number  of  their  pupils  called  for  more  ample  ac- 
commodation. 

In  1878  Mother  M.  Charles  became  superior  of  the  Aca- 
demy. She  remained  in  office  till  her  lamented  death  in  1890. 
By  the  urbanity  of  her  manner,  her  tact  and  piety,  and  her 
administrative  ability,  she  won  a  very  high  place  in  the  af- 
fection and  respect  of  her  Sisters  and  people.  "She  was," 
to  use  the  language  of  one  who  knew  her  well,  "a  woman  of 
mature  mind,  of  gracious  manner  and  refinement  of  feel- 
ing, and  dowered  with  exceptional  administrative  and  exec- 
utive talents."  St.  Mary's  Academy,  Salt  Lake  City,  has 
been  singularly  fortunate  in  that  from  its  inception  until 
now  it  has  always  had  as  its  directing  mind  ladies  of  refine- 


300  THE   CATHOLIC    CHURCH   IN   UTAH 

ment,  tact  and  prudence,  whose  names  and  memory  will  for 
all  time  be  associated  with  the  growth  and  expansion  of  the 
institution.  These  ladies  are  known  under  their  names  in 
the  community  as  Mothers  M.  Augusta  (1875-78),  M.  Charles 
(1878-90),  M.  Sienna  (1890-95),  M.  Praxedis  (1895-98),  M. 
Lucretia  (1898-03),  M.  Alexis  (1903-04), 

In  1904  the  present  superior,  Sister  Frances  Clare,  was 
appointed  as  head  of  the  Academy,  and  when  we  state  that, 
by  her  prudent  administration  of  the  affairs  of  the  institution 
and  her  urbanity  of  address,  she  has  maintained  the  high 
standard  of  efficiency  and  added  to  the  enviable  reputation 
held  by  St.  Mary's,  we  but  do  her  simple  justice. 

The  course  of  studies  in  this  excellent  establishment  cov- 
ers all  the  subjects  taught  in  the  great  convent  schools  of  the 
large  cities  of  the  East.  Nuns  and  Sisters  of  the  great  teach- 
ing orders  of  the  Catholic  Church  insist  in  maintaining,  in 
Europe  and  America,  that  the  education  of  the  girl  must,  to 
be  efficient,  differ  materially  from  that  of  the  boy.  They 
contend  that  urbanity,  tenderness,  amiability  and,  above  all, 
irreproachable  morality,  are  inseparable  from  the  training 
of  the  girl,  and  that,  wanting  these,  no  young  girl  can  ever 
ripen  into  a  refined,  cultured  and  contented  woman. 

The  Alumnae  Association,  composed  of  the  graduates  of 
the  Academy,  organized  in  1899,  numbers  nearly  one  hun- 
dred members.  In  their  devotion  and  loyalty  to  Alma 
Mater,  and  by  their  noble  influence,  the  Sisters  realize  the 
vindication  of  their  teaching,  and  the  reward  of  their  life  of 
labor  and  self-immolation. 

The  recognition  by  experienced  heads  of  families  in  the 
Eastern  States,  of  the  strength  of  the  position  and  the  wis- 
dom of  the  contention  of  the  Sisters,  is  manifest  from  the 
numbers  of  non-Catholic  young  ladies  now  attending  the 
schools  and  higher  institutions  of  learning  presided  over  by 
the  Sisters  of  the  Holy  Cross  and  by  those  of  other  convent- 
ual organizations  of  the  United  States. 


CHAPTER  XXtll. 

SACRED  HEART  ACADEMY,  OGDEN. 

Ever  watchful  of  the  growing  needs  of  Catholicity  in 
Utah,  Right  Reverend  Lawrence  Scanlan  requested  the  Sis- 
ters of  the  Holy  Cross  to  open  a  school  in  Ogden.  In  re- 
sponse to  this  earnest  solicitation,  on  September  16,  1878, 
Sisters  Francis,  Evangelista,  Georgia,  Anicetus,Calasanctius, 
Bernardo  and  Flavia — the  last  named  is  yet  in  Ogden — were 
sent  from  the  Mother  House,  at  St.  Mary's,  Notre  Dame,  In- 
diana, to  conduct  an  institution  similar  to  that  previously 
opened  in  Salt  Lake  City.  A  spacious  building  on  the  corner 
of  26th  St.  and  Washington  Ave.  was  prepared  for  their 
reception,  and  here  the  Sacred  Heart  Academy  of  to-day  had 
its  humble  beginning.  In  the  spring  of  1882,  St.  Joseph's 
School,  adjoining  the  Academy,  was  built.  The  upper  story 
was  occupied  as  a  sleeping  apartment  for  boys.  Two  rooms 
underneath  were  used  as  class  rooms,  one  for  large  boys  and 
the  other  a  minim  apartment  for  boys  and  girls.  In  1882  the 
first  superior,  Sister  Frances,  was  replaced  by  Mother  An- 
nunciatia,  afterwards  Mother  General  of  the  Order.  Her 
forceful,  winning  character  was  a  potent  factor  in  the  Cath- 
olic education  of  this  Western  region ;  no  one,  bishops, 
priests,  religious  or  pupils  can  ever  forget  her  noble  soul  and 
her  kindly  heart.  When  called  to  the  Mother  House  in  Indi- 
ana to  fill  an  important  position  on  the  directorate,  Mother 
Annunciatia  was  replaced,  in  1889,  by  Sister  Pauline,  who 
realized  the  growing  needs  of  the  Academy,  which  was  no 
longer  large  enough  to  accommodate  the  number  of  pupils.  It 
was  decided  to  erect  a  new  building,  and  a  five-acre  lot  on 
25th  St.  was  purchased  and  plans  for  the  present  Sacred 
Heart  Academy  were  drawn  up.  The  ground  was  broken  for 
the  new  structure  Sept.  24,  1890,  and  the  corner  stone  laid 
May  24th,  of  the  following  year.    The  institution  was  ready 


302  THE   CATHOLIC    CHURCH   IN   UTAH 

for  the  reception  of  the  students  in  September,  1892,  the  Sis- 
ters having  moved  from  the  old  quarters  the  previous  June. 

Beautifully  situated  at  the  foot  of  the  Wasatch  Moun- 
tains, the  Academy,  apart  from  the  careful  moral  and  men- 
tal training  it  affords,  offers  exceptional  advantages  for  the 
physical  development  of  its  students.  In  the  various  depart- 
ments, the  course  of  studies  is  as  extensive  and  thorough  as 
it  can  be  made  by  long  experience  and  a  large  and  capable 
staff  of  teachers.  The  most  approved  systems  of  instruction 
are  adopted.  The  Sacred  Heart  Alumnae  Association,  or- 
ganized in  1904,  numbers  ninety  members.  The  society  ful- 
fills its  object  in  keeping  alive  in  the  hearts  of  the  graduates 
the  memory  of  their  Alma  Mater,  and  in  perpetuating  the 
friendships  formed  in  happy  school  days.  The  location  of 
the  Academy,  just  on  the  foothills  of  the  picturesque 
Wasatch  range  and  close  to  Ogden's  historic  canyon,  is  ideal 
and  appeals  to  all  who  appreciate  the  beautiful  and  the  sub- 
lime in  nature. 

The  steady  increase  of  the  resident  students  and  the  fre- 
quent commendations  appearing  in  the  Utah  press  indicate 
the  growth  in  public  favor  of  this  meritorious  seminary. 
The  Academy  of  the  Sacred  Heart,  Ogden,  like  its  sister  con- 
vent, St.  Mary's  Academy  of  Salt  Lake,  offers  young  ladies, 
irrespective  of  creed,  every  facility  for  acquiring  a  finished 
education  and  all  the  graces  of  a  refined  and  accomplished 
woman  of  society.  The  ladies  of  the  Holy  Cross  are  also  at 
the  head  of  meritorious  institutions  and  conduct  excellent 
schools  at  Park  Citv  and  Eureka. 


CHAPTER   XXIV. 

st.  ann's  orphanage. 

The  accidents  and  deaths  inseparable  from  the  hazardous 
occupation  of  men  engaged  in  mining  necessarily  threw  upon 
the  hands  of  the  charitably  disposed  many  helpless  orphans. 

Touched  by  the  spectacle  of  these  fatherless  children,  the 
Bishop  resolved  to  make  provision  for  their  maintenance 
and  education.  He  decided  to  open  an  "Orphans'  Home" 
where  no  creed  or  color  line  would  be  drawn,  and  he  would 
trust  to  God,  to  the  charity  of  his  people,  to  his  own  energy 
and  that  of  his  priests,  for  the  maintenance  of  the  orphan- 
age. Again  he  appealed  to  the  sisterhood  of  the  Holy  Cross, 
whose  Mother-House  is  at  St.  Mary's,  Indiana,  and  again 
the  sisterhood  answered  his  call.  On  October  15,  1891,  three 
Sisters  arrived  and  opened  the  Orphanage  in  the  residence 
lately  occupied  by  the  Bishop  and  his  priests. 

Twice  the  building  was  enlarged,  till  at  last,  the  number 
knocking  at  the  door  for  admission  made  a  new  orphanage 
an  imperative  necessity,  for  the  lot  on  which  the  building 
stood  was  too  small  for  an  extra  wing. 

In  June,  1898,  an  option  was  offered  Bishop  Scanlan  on 
fifteen  acres  of  land  on  Twelfth  South.  He  closed  with  the 
option,  but  the  first  payment  exhausted  his  resources. 

Whilst  revolving  in  his  mind  the  problem  of  securing 
means  to  meet  the  second  payment,  and  increasing  his  ap- 
peals to  heaven  for  assistance,  help  came  to  him  in  a  most 
generous  and  courteous  manner.  Senator  Thomas  Kearns, 
learning  of  the  Bishop's  straightened  circumstances,  slipped 
down  quietly  one  morning  and  looked  over  the  Bishop's  pur- 
chase. Next  day  Mrs.  Kearns  waited  upon  Bishop  Scanlan. 
The  result  of  the  interview  is  the  present  magnificent  build- 
ing, the  Kearns-St.  Ann's  Orphanage,  costing,  exclusive  of 
ground  and  furnishing,  $55,000. 


304  THE   CATHOLIC    CHURCH   IN   UTAH 

The  institution  was  furnished  by  the  ladies  of  the  cathe- 
dral congregation,  but  the  electric  and  gas  fittings,  the  iso- 
lated and  modernly  equipped  laundry  and  accessories,  as 
well  as  the  Orphanage  itself,  are  memorials  of  the  charity 
and  generosity  of  Senator  and  Mrs.  Kearns. 

This  splendid  institution,  protecting  168  children,  is  an 
enduring  example  of  Catholic  benevolence  and  a  memorial  to 
the  Bishop  and  to  the  charity  and  liberality  of  the  gentle- 
man and  his  wife  that  made  it  possible. 

Under  the  care  of  eleven  Sisters  of  the  community  of  the 
Holy  Cross,  the  orphanage  is  a  model  charity.  And  if  it  be 
asked,  what  are  the  Sisters  paid  for  looking  after  these  168 
little  ones,  you  will  be  told:  "the  food  they  eat,  the  clothes 
they  wear  and  the  beds  they  sleep  on."  It  is  the  most 
unique  example  of  pure  and  disinterested  benevolence  in 
the  state  of  Utah.  The  devotion,  self-sacrifice  and  practical 
charity  of  these  ladies,  whom  we  call  Sisters,  are  marvelous 
proofs  of  the  influence  of  God's  grace  on  human  souls  and  of 
the  effect  of  the  power  of  the  Holy  Spirit  on  human  hearts. 
These  ladies  have  bidden  an  eternal  farewell  to  the  world 
and  the  world's  pleasures  and  have  offered  themselves  as 
jiving  victims  on  the  altar  of  charity,  for  the  salvation  of 
the  fatherless  and  the  wards  of  Jesus  Christ.  Surely  their 
reward  beyond  the  grave  will  be  very  great. 

Winter  and  summer  the  sisters  rise  at  5  a.  m.  At  5:30 
they  are  in  the  chapel  praying  to  God  and  meditating  on  His 
eternal  truths.  At  6  o'clock  they  assist  at  the  Holy  Sacri- 
fice of  the  Mass,  and  at  6:30  awake  the  children.  At  7  the 
little  ones  are  served  breakfast  by  the  Sisters, and  at  9  o'clock 
school  opens  with  a  petition  to  God,  that,  in  His  mercy,  He 
would  bless  them  all.  In  addition  to  the  ordinary  common 
school  education,  those  of  the  children  of  an  age  to  learn 
are  taught  manners  and  morals,  and  are  trained  to  believe 
in  God,  in  the  Holy  Trinity,  in  the  divinity  and  resurrection 
of  Christ  in  the  judgment  to  come  and  a  final  accounting  to 
God  for  sins  committed  in  the  flesh.  Forty-three  of  the  boys 
and  girls  are  taught  shorthand  and  typewriting,  and  some 


_            .. 

«!?*S>i  ^ 

iHii*-            **■ 

J^^Mfe. 

JSrHHHHh 

&'&.*£:;:&$  ':  Jill       >:v:v-^ 

:.'    "":  '*  '  '? 

r«  * 

Holy  Cross   Hospital,  Salt  Lake  City. 


THE   CATHOLIC    CHUKCH   IN   UTAH  305 

of  the  best  stenographers  and  typewriters  filling  lucrative 
positions  in  our  city  are  graduates  of  Kearns-St.  Ann's  Or- 
phanage. We  would  hardly  look  for  it  in  an  orphanage,  but 
one  of  the  Sisters  devotes  her  time  exclusively  to  teaching 
singing  to  the  children  and  music  to  those  of  the  girls  who 
show  an  aptitude  for  the  piano.  They  lost  one  or  both  their 
parents  at  a  tender  age,  and  have  been  sent  here  to  be  edu- 
cated and  trained  morally.  If  the  surviving  parent  or  guard- 
ian can  afford  to  pay  a  small  sum  monthly  it  is  gratefully 
accepted,  but  the  orphan,  pay  or  no  pay,  is  cheerfully  re- 
ceived and  no  discrimination  shown. 

The  building  throughout,  the  dormitories,  the  bath  rooms, 
the  spacious  halls,  the  class  rooms  and  dining  hall  are  scru- 
pulously clean  and  evoke  expressions  of  surprise  from  visit- 
ors. There  is  no  hotel  in  our  city  more  visibly  clean  or  bet- 
ter managed.  Call  in  and  go  through  the  orphanage  and 
verify  for  yourself  our  statements.  To  conduct  this  great 
institution,  to  heat  it,  light  it,  keep  the  building  in  repair, 
and  furnish  food  and  clothing  call  for  a  liberal  expenditure. 

To  the  acting  superior,  Sister  M.  Martina  and  her  prede- 
cessor, Sister  M.  Octavia,  the  orphanage,  as  a  live  institution, 
is  deeply  indebted.  They  have  done  much,  by  their  urbanity, 
tact  and  mild  discipline,  to  lift  this  great  Catholic  charity 
unto  a  plane  of  high  efficiency  and  of  admirable  adaptation 
to  the  wants  of  homeless  children.  To  Catholic  institutions, 
such  as  the  Kearns-St.  Ann's  Orphanage,  Mr.  John  D.  Rock- 
efeller referred  when,  writing  in  the  January  number  of  the 
World's  Work  on  problems  of  general  uplift,  he  pays  this 
tribute  to  the  Catholic  Church: 

"I  fully  appreciate  the  splendid  service  done  by  others  in 
the  field;  but  I  have  seen  the  organization  of  the  Roman 
Catholic  Church  secure  better  results  with  a  given  sum  of 
money  than  other  church  organizations  are  accustomed  to  se- 
cure from  the  same  expenditure. ' ' 


30G  THE   CATHOLIC    CHURCH   IN   UTAH 

HOLY  CROSS  HOSPITAL. 

This  magnificent  institution  was  founded  by  Bishop 
Scanlan  early  in  October,  1875,  when  he  brought  from  In- 
diana Sisters  M.  Holy  Cross  and  M.  Bartholomew,  who  at 
once  entered  upon  their  meritorious  labors.  On  the  22d  of 
October,  humbly,  unostentatiously  and  full  of  the  spirit  of 
their  Divine  Master,  their  work  began  in  a  rented  building 
on  Fifth  East  between  South  Temple  and  First  South  streets. 
It  was  called  the  Hospital  of  the  Holy  Cross.  In  this  unpre- 
tentious abode  their  labor  of  love  was  pre-eminently  success- 
ful. Their  charity  in  behalf  of  suffering  humanity  won  for 
them  from  a  grateful  people  the  true  title  of  angels  of  mercy 
and  real  Sisters  of  Charity.  No  appeal  was  unheeded;  im- 
mediate wants  alone  were  considered.  To  this  day  their 
names  are  sacred  in  every  household  as  symbols  of  charity 
and  mercy,  and  their  memories  are  enshrined  like  the  Good 
Samaritan  in  the  hearts  of  a  grateful  people.  For  seven 
years  they  labored  faithfully  and  successfully.  As  a  mark 
of  their  success  the  present  beautiful  hospital,  with  its  spa- 
cious grounds,  and  without  encumbrance  when  Sister  Holy 
Cross  resigned  her  position  as  Superior,  stands  as  a  living 
monument.  The  ten-acre  block  was  purchased  in  April,  1881, 
by  Bishop  Scanlan  and  the  deed  given  to  the  Sisters.  Ground 
for  the  new  hospital  was  broken  the  following  month.  The 
next  year  the  Sisters,  with  their  patients,  removed  from  the 
old  to  the  splendid  structure  they  now  occupy. 

There  are  few  hospitals  in  the  country  more  ably  con- 
ducted than  is  the  Holy  Cross  Hospital  of  Salt  Lake  City, 
Utah,  located  conveniently  at  First  South  street,  between 
Tenth  and  Eleventh  East.  This  institution,  which  is  handled 
in  a  splendid  manner  by  the  Sisters  of  the  Holy  Cross,  under 
the  personal  management  and  direction  of  a  Sister  Superior 
who  has  the  general  superintendency  of  the  entire  hospital, 
is  one  of  the  noted  places  of  this  city.  Accommodations  are 
provided  for  150  patients  without  crowding,  and  in  case  of 
emergency  200  can  be  cared  for.    Every  kind  of  disease — ex- 


Hosik. 


THE   CATHOLIC    CHURCH    IN   UTAH  307 

cept  contagious  cases — are  handled  here,  and  every  attention 
paid  each  patient.  There  are  three  operating  rooms,  an 
X-ray  department,  under  the  supervision  of  a  specialist,  and 
a  staff  of  able  and  proficient  surgeons  and  physicians,  three 
medical  men,  twenty  trained  nurses,  two  interns  and  twenty- 
seven  Sisters  of  the  Holy  Cross  are  in  constant  attendance, 
thus  insuring  every  care  consistent  with  the  most  modernly 
conducted  hospital. 

The  institution  has  sixty-five  private  rooms  for  special 
patients,  separate  wards  for  patients  accommodating  from 
four  to  eighteen  people  each,  and  a  new  steam  power  and 
laundry  plant  will  provide  everything  in  this  line  necessary 
for  the  hospital. 

Thousands  of  patients  have  been  cared  for  and  cured  at 
this  hospital  through  the  careful  and  diligent  work  of  the 
Sisters  of  the  Holy  Cross,  and  there  is  perhaps  no  institution 
of  its  kind  in  the  country  that  is  more  successful  in  its  treat- 
ment of  all  cases.  One  who  is  taken  in  here  is  assured  of 
every  attention  possible,  day, and  night,  and  this  is  one  of 
the  reasons  that  the  hospital  is  usually  comfortably  filled 
with  patients. 

THE  JUDGE  "MEMORIAL  HOME." 

Eesting  on  a  solid  foundation  of  great  blocks  of  granite, 
the  Judge  "Memorial  Home"  occupies  one  of  the  most  com- 
manding sites  in  the  city  of  Salt  Lake. 

This  magnificent  monument  of  affection  and  charity  was 
built  by  Mrs.  Mary  Judge  to  the  memory  of  her  husband 
as  a  hospital  and  home  for  injured,  aged  and  feeble  miners. 

The  pressing  calls  upon  the  resources  and  time  of  Bishop 
Scanlan,  the  incessant  appeals  made  upon  his  energy  during 
the  ibuilding  of  the  cathedral,  and  the  supervising  and 
financing  of  this  great  ecclesiastical  monument  have  post- 
poned the  opening  of  the  "Home"  beyond  the  expectations 
and  hope  of  the  Bishop. 

When  the  doors  of  the  Judge's  Home  swing  open  to  the 
public  and  the  grounds  lend  themselves  to  a  touch  of  land- 


308  THE   CATHOLIC    CHURCH   IN   UTAH 

scape  gardening,  this  magnificent  building,  commanding  a 
sweeping  view  of  the  Valley  of  the  Great  Salt  Lake,  will 
rank  among  the  architecturally  great  monuments  of  the 
West. 


BOOK  IV. 

Diocese  of  Salt  Lake- 


Sketch  of  the  Life  of 

Bishop  Scanlan. 


St.  Joseph's  Church,  Ogden,  Utah. 


CHAPTER  XXV. 

DIOCESE  OP  SALT  LAKE. 

The  diocese  of  Salt  Lake,  embracing  an  area  of  153,768 
square  miles,  is  the  largest  in  the  United  States.  To  form 
an  idea  of  this  immense  territory,  under  the  direction  of  one 
bishop,  is  best  realized  by  comparison.  In  the  province  of 
New  York  there  are  seven  dioceses  annexed  to  the  arch- 
diocese or  Metropolitan  See.  Archbishop  Farley  is  in  charge 
of  the  Metropolitan  See,  and  seven  suffragan  bishops  exercise 
spiritual  jurisdiction  over  the  province  of  New  York.  The 
whole  province  has  only  an  area  of  53,376  square  miles,  or 
less  than  one-third  the  size  of  the  diocese  of  Salt  Lake. 

The  fact  is  the  Bishop  of  Salt  Lake  governs  a  region 
greater  than  that  included  within  the  jurisdiction  of  the 
Archbishops  of  New  Orleans,  New  York,  Baltimore,  Chicago, 
St.  Louis,  Philadelphia,  San  Francisco  and  St.  Paul.  Within 
the  great  ecclesiastical  province  of  New  York  lie  the  dioceses 
of  Albany,  Brooklyn,  Buffalo,  Newark,  Ogdensburg,  Roches- 
ter, Syracuse  and  Trenton  covering  an  area  of  71,000  miles, 
less  by  83,000  miles  than  the  diocese  of  Salt  Lake. 

Long  before  Utah  had  a  name,  or  the  region  was  even 
geographically  placed,  the  Franciscan  Fathers  began  their 
missionary  labors  in  New  Mexico.  When  Onate,  in  1606,  laid 
the  foundations  of  Santa  Fe  and  the  buildings  began  to  as- 
sume the  proportions  of  a  town,  the  Franciscans  left  their 
little  convent  at  "El  Yunque"  (now  Chamata  R.  R.  station) 
on  the  west  side  of  the  Rio  Grande  and  built  their  monastery 
in  Santa  Fe,  which  was  ever  afterwards  their  headquarters 
for  the  southwestern  missions,  subject,  of  course,  to  the 
great  central  monastery  in  Queretaro,  Mexico. 

At  this  time  the  missionary  regions  lay  beyond  the  juris- 
diction of  any  Mexican  bishop,  and  the  Franciscan  Fathers, 
as  a  necessity,  enjoyed  exceptional  privileges.    The  superiors 


310  THE   CATHOLIC    CHURCH   IN   UTAH 

of  the  Sonora  and  Santa  Fe  missions  were  authorized  by 
special  Pontifical  Indult  to  administer  the  Sacrament  of  Con- 
firmation. From  "La  Collection  de  Bulas,  Breves  y  otros 
documentos,  etc.,"  gathered  by  Father  Hernaez,  S.  J.  (Brus- 
sels, 1879),  we  learn  that  the  Dominican  and  Franciscan 
Fathers,  laboring  in  the  two  Americas  and  Philippine  Islands, 
possessed  special  privileges  and— except  the  power  to 
confer  Orders— had  episcopal  faculties.  The  territory,  now 
known  as  Utah,  was  subject  to  the  Custodio  or  presidency 
of  Santa  Fe,  until  the  erection  of  Durango,  Mexico,  into  a 
diocese  in  1649,  when  New  Mexico  and  all  the  southwestern 
regions,  including  Utah,  came  under  the  jurisdiction  of  the 
bishop  of  Durango.  In  the  archives,  preserved  at  Santa  Fe, 
we  read  that  the  Rt.  Revs.  Martin  Eliza-Cochea  and  Pedro 
Tamaron  visited  New  Mexico  in  1737  and  1760,  and  in  these 
years  administered  the  Sacrament  of  Confirmation  to  870 
Mexicans,  Indians  and  half-bloods. 

By  the  treaty  of  Guadalupe-Hidalgo,  entered  into  be- 
tween the  Republics  of  Mexico  and  the  United  States,  and 
signed  at  Guadalupe,  near  Mexico  City,  May  19,  1848,  New 
Mexico,  including  Utah,  Upper  California,  etc.,  was  ceded 
to  the  United  States  on  payment  to  the  Republic  of  Mexico 
of  $15,000,000  gold. 

Utah  now,  by  a  law  of  adhesion,  falls  ecclesiastically, 
under  the  jurisdiction  of  St.  Louis,  U.  S.,  governed  then 
by  Rt.  Rev.  P.  R.  Kenrick,  D.  I). 

In  1866  the  Territory  of  Utah  was  committed  to  the 
administration  of  His  Grace,  the  Archbishop  of  San  Fran- 
cisco. By  an  ecclesiastical  law  of  gravitation  it  ought  to 
have  been  included  within  the  limits  of  the  newly  created 
diocese  of  Marysville  or  Grass  Valley,  now  Sacramento.  In- 
stead, however,  the  Holy  See  committed  it  entirely  to  the 
Archbishop  of  San  Francisco,  who  sent  earnest  priests  to 
build  the  house  of  the  Lord  in  the  Mormon  stronghold. 

On  February  5,  1868,  Colorado  and  Utah  were  erected 
into  a  Vicariate-Apostolic  and  Father  Machebeuf  of  Denver 


THE    CATHOLIC    CHURCH   IN    UTAH  311 

made  Vicar  Apostolic  and  consecrated  titular  Bishop  of 
Epiphania,  August  16,  1868.  On  February  12,  1871,  Utah  is 
again  carried  to  California  and  confided  to  the  spiritual 
care  of  Rt.  Rev.  Joseph  Sadoc  Alemany,  Bishop  of  San  Fran- 
cisco. The  territory  remained  attached  to  San  Francisco 
until  April  7,  1886,  when  Utah  and  six  counties  of  Nevada 
were  raised  to  a  Vicariate-Apostolic  and  Father  Lawrence 
Scanlan,  pastor  of  Salt  Lake,  made  Vicar-Apostolic  and  con- 
secrated (June  29,  1887),  Bishop  of  Larandum,  in  partibus 
infidelium. 

As  we  have  had  occasion  to  refer  many  times  to  the 
term  Vicariate-Apostolic,  we  ought,  in  justice  to  our  readers, 
to  explain  what  is  meant  by  the  dual  word. 

Briefly,  then,  a  Vicariate-Apostolic  implies  a  region  of 
a  country  where  no  episcopate  or  bishopric  was  at  any  time 
established,  or  when,  having  been  established,  the  succession 
was,  for  a  long  time,  interrupted  either  by  prolonged  wars 
or  by  national  apostasy.  After  the  apostasy  of  England 
from  the  faith,  the  Church  in  Great  Britain  was  governed  by 
Vicars-Apostolic  from  1685  till  the  re-establishment  of  the 
hierarchy  by  Pope  Pius  IX,  1850,  by  the  appointment  of  the 
great  Wiseman  as  Bishop  of  Westminster.  Missionary  dio- 
ceses are  usually  vicariates-apostolic,  and  as  such  must  re- 
port to  the  College  of  the  Propaganda,  Rome.  There  are 
to-day,  at  least  a  hundred  of  such  vicariates  in  existence. 
In  1891,  the  Vicariate  of  Utah  and  Nevada  was  erected  into  a 
Diocese,  to  be  known  henceforth  as  the  Diocese  of  Salt  Lake 
(Dioecesis  Lacus  Salsi).  The  canonical  jurisdiction  of  Bish- 
op Scanlan  covers  all  Utah  and  the  counties  of  Lincoln,  Lan- 
der, Eureka,  Elko,  Nye  and  White  Pine  in  the  State  of  Ne- 
vada, an  area  of  territory  larger  than  all  England  and 
Wales,  and  Ireland,  Scotland  and  Portugal  combined. 

Whole  regions  of  this  vast  territory,  particularly  in  the 
mountainous  ranges,  are  sparsely  settled  and  are  difficult  of 
access.  Mining  camps  leap  into  existence  to-day  and  dis- 
appear to-morrow.     In  only  a  few  districts  is  it  possible  to 


312  THE   CATHOLIC   CHURCH   IN   UTAH 

establish  parishes,  and  when  these  parishes  are  created  and 
resident  priests  appointed,  the  wear  and  tear  of  missionary 
life,  the  exposure  on  and  loneliness  of  the  long  journeys,  the 
severity  of  the  winters  and  the  poor  fare,  wear  down  the 
priests  and  shorten  their  lives. 


PARISHES  AND  MISSIONS. 

SALT  LAKE   CITY. 

The  Cathedral  of  Salt  Lake  is,  without  exception,  archi- 
tecturally, the  finest  ecclesiastical  structure  west  of  the 
Missouri.  Resting  on  an  imperishable  foundation  of  massive 
blocks  of  granite,  the  great  building  occupies  a  commanding- 
site  in  one  of  the  finest  quarters  of  the  city,  and  imparts  to 
the  surrounding  neighborhood  a  tone  of  quiet  solemnity  and 
impressive  dignity.  Externally,  the  cathedral  offers  to  the 
eye  an  example  of  the  great  ecclesiastical  structures  of  the 
middle  ages — the  Ages  of  Faith — when  architects  and  build- 
ers adhered  scrupulously  to  structural  proportions  and  laid 
great  stress  on  architectural  unities.  The  view  from  the 
highest  platform  of  the  beautiful  Norman  towers  is  a  reve- 
lation. The  eye  sweeps  the  magnificent  valley,  the  Great 
Salt  Lake,  the  Jordan  River,  the  towering  peaks,  canyons, 
ranges  and  the  glorious  city  itself,  rising  from  the  plain  and 
protected  and  battlemented  by  its  own  rock-ribbed  moun- 
tains. 

The  cathedral  is  a  firm  mass  of  masonry,  built  of  hewed 
and  hammered  stone,  whose  mortared  joints  have  solidified 
into  an  imperishable  material,  forming  with  the  travertine, 
an  indestructible  whole.  Its  dignity  and  grace  and  solemn 
grandeur  have  imparted  a  new  glory  and  importance  to 
material  substance  and  carries  to  the  mind  a  persuasion  of 
the  sublime  faith  of  the  men  who  raised  this  imperishable 
temple  to  do  honor  to  an  imperishable  God. 

This  great  Christian  fane,  its  commanding  site,  its  fur- 
nishment  and  mural  decorations,  with  the  Episcopal  resi- 
dence and  land  cost  $600,000. 

Under  a  groined  canopy,  whose  figured  windows  flood  it 
with  a  wealth  and  variety  of  chromatic  coloring,  reposes  the 
High  Altar  of  Carrara  marble,  elaborately  carved  by  Italian 
masters. 


314  THE   CATHOLIC    CHURCH   IN    UTAH 

The  beautiful  side  altars,  the  sanctuary  railings  of 
carved  Irish  oak,  the  magnificent  windows  of  Munich  de- 
sign and  finish,  iis  groined  and  lofty  ceiling  resting  on  twelve 
pillars  of  Ionic  finish  and  its  splendid  organ,  give  to  this 
consecrated  fane  an  immortality  of  quiet  grandeur  and  an 
atmosphere  of  sanctity  and  religious  repose. 

The  pastor  of  the  cathedral  parish  and  Chancellor  of  the 
Diocese,  Very  Rev.  Father  Kiely,  V.  G.,  has  spiritual  charge 
of  the  Catholic  souls  of  Salt  Lake  City.  He  is  assisted  by 
five  resident  priests  who  say  Mass  daily  in  the  cathedral, 
the  Hospital  and  the  Academy,  visit  the  sick,  instruct  the 
children  and  co-operate  with  the  pastor  in  the  work  of  the 
parish.  St.  Patrick's  Church  in  the  western  section  of  the 
city  is  attended  on  Sundays  and  holydays  from  the  cathedral. 
On  Sundays  the  Holy  Sacrifice  is  offered  up  at  convenient 
hours  in  the  chapels  of  Holy  Cross  Hospital,  All  Hallows 
College,  St.  Mary's  Academy  and  St.  Ann's  Orphanage,  thus 
affording  Catholics  in  all  parts  of  the  city  every  facility  for 
hearing  Mass  on  days  of  obligation.  From  the  cathedral 
parish,  priests  visit  Bingham,  Scofield,  Sunnyside,  Fort 
Douglas,  Ogden  and  other  distant  missions. 

OGDEN. 

The  ecclesiastical  growth  and  expansion  of  the  Catholic 
Church  in  this  charming  and  attractive  city  is  so  intimately 
interwoven  with  the  sacerdotal  life  of  its  pastor,  Father 
Cushnahan,  that  the  separation  of  the  one  from  the  local  life 
of  the  other  would  disrupt  a  union  apparently  providential. 

If  you  re-examine  the  fine  mezzo-tone  illustrations  of  this 
history  your  attention  will  be  challenged  by  a  scene  in  the 
valley  of  the  Duchesne  River,  including  tents,  wagons  and 
horses — the  camp  of  Don  Maguire.  Now  if  it  were  possible 
for  you  to  examine  the  baptismal  register — Utah's  first — 
opened  by  Father  Walsh  back  in  '66,  you  would  notice  that 
the  first  Catholic  child  baptized  in  Ogden  was  Frances 
Maguire.  Well,  the  father  and  mother  of  Frances  and  Don 
Maguire,  by  a  mysterious   law  of    gravitation,    settled    in 


THE   CATHOLIC    CHURCH   IN    UTAH  315 

Ogden  long  before  there  was  priest  or  church  there.  They 
were  of  the  historic  Maguires  of  Fermanagh,  or.  may  be  of 
the  great  clan  of  the  Maguires  of  Cavan,  and,  when  they 
drifted  out  west,  they  brought  their  faith  with  them.  When 
a  Maguire  flings  his  faith  away,  his  Irish  descent  leaves  him 
and  goes  with  the  faith,  and  his  manhood  gets  lonesome  and 
follows  the  other  two — always.  Nothing  is  left  him  but  a 
great  name,  and  ashamed  of  its  anomalous  isolation,  the 
name  itself  fades  away,  declines  and  becomes,  perhaps,  a 
monstrosity,  a  Megirr,  and  Megirrs  do  not  perpetuate  them- 
selves beyond  one  or  two  generations.  The  Maguire,  who 
settled  in  Ogden,  brought  his  faith,  his  name  and  his  man- 
hood with  him,  and  with  him  began  Catholicism  in  Ogden. 
Associated  with  the  Maguires  in  those  early  days  were  the 
Delaneys,  the  Hassetts,  the  McCormicks,  and  together  they 
formed  the  little  Catholic  group  which  grew  and  multiplied 
into  the  present  large  congregation.  In  June,  1879,  Arch- 
bishop Alemany  came  all  the  way  from  San  Francisco  to 
solemnly  open  the  little  church  that  had  been  built  by  Father 
Scanlan,  who,  on  the  occasion  sang  the  first  High  Mass 
heard  in  Ogden.  Then,  twenty-seven  years  ago — in  1882 — 
came  Father  Cuslmalian,  and  since  then  great  changes  have 
boen  structurally  wrought. 

An  interesting  incident  in  the  ecclesiastical  life  of  Ogden 
and  Salt  Lake  was  the  meeting  and  visit  of  Archbishop 
Alemany,  of  San  Francisco,  and  his  coadjutor,  Archbishop 
Riordan,  who  was  on  his  way  to  the  coast  fresh  from  his  con- 
secration at  Chicago,  September  26,  1883. 

On  Thursday,  Nov.  3,  1883,  Archbishop  Riordan  reached 
Ogden  from  the  east,  accompanied  by  a  number  of  clergy- 
men from  Chicago.  They  were  met  at  the  depot  by  Arch- 
bishop Alemany  and  Very  Rev.  Father  Scanlan,  who  took 
charge  of  the  distinguished  guests.  They  visited  St.  Jo- 
seph's Church  and  thence  down  to  the  Sacred  Heart  Acad- 
emy, where  they  were  entertained  in  a  most  pleasant  manner 
by  addresses  from  the  pupils  of  that  institution.  Archbishop 
Riordan  expressed  his  agreeable  surprise  at  finding  such  a 


316  THE   CATHOLIC   CHURCH   IN    UTAH 

fine  institution  in  the  Far  West.  After  thanking  the  Sisters 
and  pupils  His  Grace  wished  them  long  and  continued  pros- 
perity. They  arrived  in  Salt  Lake  at  noon,  and  spent  the 
entire  afternoon  in  visiting  places  of  interest  in  the  city,  no- 
tably St.  Mary's  Academy,  where  the  welcome  of  the  good 
Sisters  and  their  pupils  found  expression  in  the  presentation 
of  a  splendid  program,  consisting  of  addresses  and  music, 
both  vocal  and  instrumental.  On  Sunday  morning  the  pa- 
pers gave  the  following  notice  of  services :  Catholic  services : 
Solemn  Pontifical  High  Mass,  Celebrant,  Most  Rev.  Arch- 
bishop Eiordan;  Assistant  Priest,  Rev.  J.  P.  Roles;  Deacon, 
Rev.  S.  J.  Dunne;  sub-Deacon,  Rev.  M.  F.  Burke;  Deacons 
of  Honor,  Revs.  B.  J.  Spaulding  and  T.  S.  Henneberry.  Ser- 
mon by  the  Most  Rev.  J.  S.  Alemany.    Services  at  11  a.  m. 

After  the  Gospel  Archbishop  Alemany  introduced  the 
new  Archbishop  to  the  congregation,  and  then  preached  an 
appropriate  sermon  for  the  occasion. 

Sunday  evening  the  party  left  Salt  Lake  for  Ogden,  and 
thence,  accompanied  by  Archbishop  Alemany  and  Father 
Scanlan,  the  distinguished  guests  proceeded  on  their  journey 
to  the  Golden  Gate. 

St.  Joseph's  Church,  Ogden,  is  an  architectural  gem. 
The  beautiful  exterior  structure,  all  rock,  with  its  high  tower 
surmounted  by  a  large  cross,  is  the  first  object  to  attract  the 
attention  of  visitors  sojourning  in  the  city.  The  interior  in 
design  and  finish  is  in  keeping  with  the  exterior.  Ornate  and 
chaste,  with  is  beautiful  stained  glass  windows  and  artistic 
Stations  of  the  Cross,  everything  is  calculated  to  intensify 
the  devotion  of  its  worshipers. 

PARK  CITY. 

Since  the  opening  and  development  of  the  first  mine  in 
this  thriving  and  rich  mining  camp  attention  has  been 
always  directed  to  Catholic  interests.  In  1873,  soon  after  his 
arrival  in  Salt  Lake,  Father  Scanlan  visited  Park  City  and 
celebrated  Mass.  From  that  date  down  to  1881  regular  ser- 
vices were  held  at  certain  intervals  in  an  old  log  cabin. 

In  1881  a  lot  with  residence  was  secured  in  this  prosper- 


■ 


lliiui 


St.  Mary  of  the  Assumption  Church,  Park  City,  Utah. 


THE   CATHOLIC   CHURCH   IN    UTAH  317 

bus  mining  camp.  A  new  building  which  served  the  double 
purpose  of  school  and  chureh  was  erected  the  same  year.  In 
September,  1881,  the  Sisters  opened  their  school.  In  1885 
the  church  and  school  building  and  Sisters'  residence  were 
destroyed  by  fire.  The  church  and  school  were  rebuilt  at 
once  of  rock  under  the  superintendence  of  Rev.  P.  Blake,  the 
acting  pastor.  In  1886  the  present  pastor,  Rev.  T.  Galligan, 
took  up  the  work  of  Father  Blake,  and  has  for  eighteen  years 
administered  to  the  spiritual  wants  of  the  people.  By  his 
zeal  and  devotion  he  has  succeeded  in  building  up  the  spirit- 
ual edifice  in  the  souls  of  his  congregation  and  has  endeared 
himself  to  all  the  members  of  his  flock. 

EUREKA. 

Long  before  the  connecting  link  of  the  Oregon  Short 
Line  from  Lehi  Junction  to  Ironton  was  built,  Tintic  was 
visited  by  a  Catholic  priest.  Early  in  December,  1873, 
Father  Scanlan  went  by  stage  from  Lehi  to  Camp  Floyd, 
where  he  remained  over  Sunday.  From  Camp  Floyd  he 
staged  it  to  Diamond,  holding  services  there;  also  in  Silver 
City  and  Eureka.  In  the  baptismal  record  are  registered 
five  baptisms  at  Tintic  by  Father  Scanlan,  dated  December 
9,  1873.  These  are  Dennis  Sullivan,  Veronica  S.  M.  Brown, 
Victor  E.,  Alphonsus  R.  and  Pearl  M.  Ether.  At  this  early 
period  but  few  members  of  the  Church  were  in  the  district. 
Silver  City,  Diamond  and  Eureka  gave  ample  evidence  that 
prospecting  was  done,  for  the  hills  surrounding  those  places 
were  dotted  with  holes  made  by  the  miners'  picks. 

TINTIC. 

A  LOG  CABIN  VILLAGE. 

In  the  little  village  with  its  high-sounding  and  sug- 
gestive name  were  only  a  few  log  cabins.  In  one  of  these 
cabins,  with  his  blankets  on  the  floor,  Father  Scanlan  rested 
for  three  weeks,  returning  to  Salt  Lake  on  the  eve  of  Christ- 
mas. The  growth  of  Tintic  from  1873  to  1880,  though  grad- 
ual, was  very  slow,  hence  no  priest  visited  the  place  till  1880. 


318  THE   CATHOLIC    CHURCH   IN    UTAH 

At  this  time  Eureka,  the  principal  place  in  the  district,  had 
developed  into  a  fair-sized  mining  camp  and  arrangements 
were  made  for  regular  services  every  three  months.  In  1884  a 
number  of  families  had  settled  in  the  town  of  Eureka.  They 
wanted,  and  asked  that  a  resident  priest  be  sent  there. 

FATHER  KILEY  TAKES  CHARGE. 

In  September  of  the  following  year  Father  Kiley  was 
sent  to  take  charge  of  the  place.  There  being  no  town  site 
and  all  unoccupied  land  being  free  for  settlers,  he  selected 
the  site  on  which  the  present  church  and  school  are  located. 
The  land  being  subsequently  patented  by  mine-owners  was 
purchased  from  them,  and  deeds  made  out  in  regular  form 
to  the  Ordinary  of  the  diocese.  After  locating  the  church 
and  school  site  a  collection  for  a  new  church  was  taken  up. 
All  gave  according  to  their  means,  and  the  work  of  erection 
began  in  the  latter  part  of  November.  The  church  was  com- 
pleted on  Christmas  eve,  and  the  first  services  were  held  on 
Christmas  day,  1885.  In  January,  1886,  a  school  was  opened 
in  the  church  by  William  J.  Bogan,  who  also  taught  night 
school,  which  was  largely  patronized  by  the  miners  and  other 
citizens  of  the  place.  The  school  continued  until  October  of 
the  same  year. 

VISIT  OF  THE  BISHOP. 

In  the  spring  of  1891  Bishop  Scanlan  made  an  official 
visit  to  Eureka,  having  for  his  object  the  reopening  of  the 
school.  Seeing  that  the  church  could  not  accommodate  the 
Catholic  children  of  the  place,  he  decided  on  erecting  a  new 
building  for  school  purposes.  In  this  new  project  the  citi- 
zens all  gladly  co-operated.  After  the  encouragement  re- 
ceived, he  commenced,  in  May,  the  construction  of  his  future 
school,  which  was  completed  in  August  of  the  same  year,  and 
in  September,  1891,  four  Sisters  of  the  Holy  Cross  com- 
menced their  first  school  term.  Rev.  P.  Donohoe,  rector  of 
the  place,  was  indefatigable  in  his  efforts  to  provide  a  good 
school  for  the  children  of  his  congregation,  and  has  since 


THE   CATHOLIC   CHURCH   IN   UTAH  319 

1891  encouraged  it  in  every  way  possible.  Fully  realizing 
the  force  of  the  text,  "Nisi  Dominus  aediftcaverit  domum,  in 
vanum  laboraverunt  qui  edificant  earn,"  he  has  seen  in  the 
past  eight  years  the  fruits  of  his  labors  and  his  own  co- 
operation blessed  by  God  and  can  with  pleasure  look  back 
on  the  good  results  accomplished.  Father  Donohoe  holds  ser- 
vices occasionally  in  Mammoth,  which  is  connected  by  rail- 
road with  Eureka.  With  the  big  mines,  Mammoth  may  in  the 
near  future  have  a  church  where  regular  services  can  be 
held. 

EUREKA,  NEVADA. 

The  history  of  the  Church  in  Eureka  dates  from  the  dis- 
covery of  the  first  great  ore  bodies  in  that  once  thriving  and 
prosperous  mining  camp.  As  early  as  1867  a  priest  visited 
the  camp  and  held  public  services.  The  substantial  stone 
church  yet  used,  was  erected  by  Father  Monteverde.  The 
present  pastor,  Father  Mannion,  took  charge  of  Eureka  in 
1 897.  In  addition  to  Eureka  proper  his  charge  extends  from 
Palisade  toward  Ogden  on  the  Southern  Pacific  railroad. 
Twice  each  year  he  visits  the  different  railroad  towns,  where 
he  holds  services  for  the  benefit  of  his  people.  Hamilton  and 
Cherry  Creek,  White  Pine  County,  which  have  two  nice 
churches  built  in  the  early  '70s,  are  also  a  part  of  the  Eureka, 
district. 

In  Tuscarora,  Elko  County,  a  church  was  erected  in  1890, 
by  Rev.  P.  J.  Quigley,  who  at  the  time  had  charge  of  the 
surrounding  districts.  During  the  present  year  a  church  was; 
built  by  the  Rt.  Rev.  Bishop  of  the  diocese  in  Carlin.  Both 
churches  come  within  the  jurisdiction  of  the  pastor  of 
Eureka. 

AUSTIN,  NEVADA. 

Early  in  1862  the  first  mine  was  located  near  Austin  by 
an  attache  of  the  stage  station  at  Jacobs  Springs.  Being  a 
rider  in  the  pony  express  of  these  days,  the  new  mine  was 
christened  "The  Pony."  On  May  10,  1862,  a  mining  district 
was  mapped  out,  and  called  the  Reese  River  district,  after 


320  THE   CATHOLIC    CHURCH   Itf    UTAH 

Captain  Reese,  the  first  explorer  of  that  region.  Its  growth, 
in  a  very  short  time,  was  marvelous.  Being  chartered  by  its 
officers  it  was  a  model  mining  camp. 

Rev.  E.  Kelly,  who  was  the  first  priest  to  visit  Salt  Lake, 
was  also  the  first  to  hold  services  in  Austin,  which  at  the 
time  was  under  the  jurisdiction  of  Rt.  Rev.  Eugene  O'Con- 
nell  of  Sacramento.  Soon  after  his  first  visit  he  commenced 
the  erection  of  a  church;  but  before  its  completion,  was  re- 
called to  Marysville.  He  was  succeeded  by  Father  Monte- 
verde,  who  continued  the  work  of  his  predecessor.  The 
church  then  begun  was  soon  finished.  In  1872  he  was  trans- 
ferred to  Pioche,  and  was  succeeded  by  Rev.  William  Maloney, 
who  remained  a  few  years,  and  was  in  turn  succeeded  by  Rev. 
Joseph  Phelan.  In  1880  the  Church,  which  was  partially  de- 
stroyed by  fire,  was  repaired  at  an  expense  of  $3,000  by  Fa- 
ther Phelan.  In  1894  Father  Phelan  resigned  his  charge, 
which  was  taken  up  the  same  year  by  Rev.  James  Butler,  who 
was  succeeded  by  Rev.  M.  Sheehan.  In  1907  Father  Sheehan 
was  transferred  to 

ELY,  NEVADA, 

where  a  church  had  been  built  in  1905  by  Father  William 
Ryan,  now  of  Salt  Lake  City.  The  church  at  Cherry  Creek, 
attended  from  Ely,  was  erected  by  Father  Moloney  in  the  fall 
of  1880.  Attached  to  all  the  parishes  of  the  diocese  of  Salt 
Lake  are  outlying  missions  and  distant  stations  visited  peri- 
odically by  the  nearest  priests.  Many  of  these  remote  mis- 
sions are  mining  camps  buried  in  the  mountains  anywhere 
from  fifty  to  two  hundred  miles  distant  from  a  resident 
priest.  It  is  not  unusual  for  a  priest  to  be  summoned,  winter 
or  summer,  to  minister  to  a  dying  or  fatally  injured  miner 
one  hundred  miles  away  in  the  mountains.  The  "sick  call" 
must  be  made  on  horseback,  and  is  often  attended  with  much 
hardship  and  danger. 

The  Catholic  population  of  Salt  Lake  diocese  is  esti- 
mated at  ten  thousand,  living  in  cities,  towns,  villages  and 
in  mining  camps.   Some  of  these  Catholics  are  herding  sheep 


THE    CATHOLIC    CHURCH   IN   UTAH  321 

on  the  great  ranges,  some  are  prospecting  in  the  mountains 
and  others  are  in  out-of-the-way  places  and  do  not  see  a 
priest  in  years. 

All  in  all,  the  diocese  is,  territorially,  the  roughest  and 
the  most  difficult  to  efficiently  and  permanently  organize  and 
govern  of  all  the  Vicariate-apostolics  or  dioceses  in  the 
United  States. 

RECAPITULATION. 

Bishop  1 

Secular  Priests   11 

Priests  of  Religious  Orders   9 

Total    20 

Churches  with  resident  priest   9 

Missions  with  Churches   11 

Total  Churches   20 

Stations  34 

Chapels   6 

Religious  Women  (incl.  novices  and  postulants) 98 

College  for  boys  1 

Students   225 

Students  studying  for  the  diocese 3 

Academies  for  young  ladies   2 

Pupils    401 

Parochial  Schools    5 

Pupils    420 

Orphan  Asylum   1 

Orphans 185 

Total  of  young  people  under  Catholic  care 895 

Hospital    1 

Catholic  population,  about   10,000 


Rt.  Rev.  L.  Scanlan,  D.  D. 
Bishop  of  Salt  Lake. 


RT.  REVEREND  LAWRENCE  SCANLAN,  D.  D., 

BISHOP   OF   SALT  LAKE.. 

''And  I  will  raise  Me  up  a  faithful  priest  who  shall  do 
according  to  My  heart  and  My  soul;  and  I  will  build  him  a 
faithful  house  and  he  shall  walk  all  days  before  My 
anointed." — I.  Kings,  5,  35. 

When  we  began  this  history  we  introduced  to  our  read- 
ers a  Spanish  priest,  Fray  Marcos  de  Nizza,  who,  in  1539, 
tramped  Sonora  instructing  the  tribes  as  he  passed  among 
them,  then,  entering  Arizona,  crossed  mountains  and  deserts, 
and  from  afar,  gazed,  first  of  white  men,  on  the  adobe  and 
rock  faced  towns  of  the  mysterious  Zuiiis.  On  the  confines 
of  the  Zuiii  and  Moqui  lands  the  Spaniard  planted  the  cross, 
the  emblem  of  man's  redemption. 

We  end  our  work  with  a  brief  biography  of  an  Irish 
priest,  who,  333  years  after  Fray  Marcos  began  his  mission- 
ary labors  in  Arizona,  entered  the  wilderness  of  the  South- 
west and  raised  the  cross  in  Utah  and  Nevada.  In  the  thre^ 
and  one-half  centuries  that  have  come  and  disappeared  since 
Fray  Marcos'  time,  the  Southwest  and  the  Pacific  lands  have 
witnessed  many  changes;  all  but  the  everlasting  hills,  the 
eternal  truth  and  the  immutable  laws  of  God  have  changed. 

The  aboriginal  owners  of  the  soil,  with  their  languages, 
pagan  rites,  customs  and  usages,  have  waned,  and  in  a  few 
years  will  be  as  if  they  were  not.  The  Spaniard  and  the  Mexi- 
can, who  mingled  among,  intermarried  with  the  tribes  and 
shared  their  lands,  have  disappeared  and  their  places  are 
filled  by  an  alien  race,  of  an  alien  language,  of  unfamiliar 
ways,  habits  and  manners.  All  things  have  altered  save 
those  that  cannot  change. 

In  1539  the  Spanish  priest,  five  thousand  miles  away 
from  his  own  land  and  people,  preached  to  the  savage  Eudes 
and  Yaquis,  the  Unity  and  Trinity  of  God,  the  Birth,  Cruci- 


324  THE    CATHOLIC   CHURCH   IN    UTAH 

fixion  and  Resurrection  of  Jesus  Christ;  lie  told  them  of 
the  Church  Christ  had  founded  to  preserve  and  perpetuate 
the  revelations  God  hath  made  to  the  human  race,  and  that 
what  he  was  teaching  them  then  was  that  which  the  Son  of 
God  taught  fifteen  hundred  years  before  their  time ;  he  spoke 
to  them  of  death,  judgment,  heaven  and  hell. 

Three  hundred  years  after  the  death  of  the  Spanish 
priest,  an  Irish  priest,  six  thousand  miles  away  from  his 
natal  land,  meets  in  the  wilderness  of  the  Southwest  the 
pioneers  of  civilization  from  the  East  and  many  of  them 
halt  and  listen  to  his  message.  This  Irish  priest,  like  the 
consecrated  Spaniard,  tells  them  of  the  Unity  and  Trinity 
of  God;  of  death,  judgment,  heaven  and  hell.  In  the  doc- 
trines he  unfolds  there  is  no  variation,  no  change  from 
those  taught  the  Sonora  Indians  three  hundred  years  before 
by  the  Spaniard,  who  spoke  the  truths  the  Asiatics  heard 
from  the  lips  of  the  Apostles,  who  received  them  from  Jesus 
Christ. 

In  1769  Fray  Junipero  Serra,  dark-haired,  short  of  stat- 
ure, sun-browned,  offered  up  the  Holy  Sacrifice  of  the  Mass 
at  San  Diego,  California,  in  a  miserable  shack.  Over  the 
entrance  to  the  shack,  Admiral  Galvez'  sailors  had  nailed  a 
cross.  The  priest  sprinkled  the  hut  inside  and  outside  with 
holy  water,  and  the  shack  became  the  Church  of  St.  Joseph. 
Next  day,  when  Mass  was  said  again,  the  shack-church  was 
filled  with  a  swarthy-complexioned,  dark-eyed,  long-haired, 
wild-looking  people,  the  Deguen  Indians  from  the  border 
land  of  lower  California.  The  language  of  the  Mass  was 
Latin. 

Forty  years  after  the  death  of  the  Spanish  priest  Juni- 
pero Serra,  an  adobe  church  was  built  on  the  site  where  the 
shack,  with  the  cross  over  its  entrance,had  stood.  This  church, 
built  of  sun-dried  brick,  had  a  pretentious  little  spire  rising 
above  it,  and  the  spire  was  crowned  with  a  cross,  painted 
white  and  visible  beyond  Point  Loma.  The  first  Sunday 
the  church  was  opened  the  priest  who  stood  at  the  altar 
offered  the  same  identical  Sacrifice  and  in  the  same  language 


THE   CATHOLIC   CHURCH   IN   UTAH  325 

which  the  dead  priest  Junipero  Serra  had  offered  nearly  a 
half  century  before.  The  gestures  of  the  priest,  the  vest- 
ments, the  crucifix  over  the  altar,  the  Mass-book,  were  the 
same,  only  the  vestments  were  a  trifle  newer  and  better,  and 
the  priest's  name  was  Morera.  But  the  congregation  had 
changed.  Spaniards,  Mexicans,  Indians,  half-castes  filled  the 
adobe  church;  everything  had  changed  but  the  Mass. 

Four  years  ago,  nearly  one  hundred  years  after  the 
Mass  of  Father  Morera,  we  assisted  at  the  Holy  Sacrifice 
in  St.  Joseph's  Church,  San  Diego.  There  were  present  two 
Mexicans,  three  Indians,  and  about  six  hundred  fair-haired, 
blue-eyed  Irish  Celts  and  Irish-Americans,  speaking  a  com- 
mon language  and  as  different  in  manners,  usages  and  habits 
from  the  two  other  congregations,  as  day  is  different  from 
night.  The  priest,  who  in  1669  said  the  first  Mass  in  San 
Diego,  was  a  Spaniard,  Junipero  Serra;  the  priest  who  said 
the  Mass  forty  years  afterwards  was  the  son  of  a  Spanish 
father  and  a  Mexican  mother,  and  was  called  Estavan  Mor- 
era; and  he  who  offered  up  the  Adorable  Sacrifice  the  Sun- 
day we  were  present  was  an  Irish  Celt  baptised  Edward 
Murphy.  There  was  no  change  in  the  Mass,  not  even  the 
shadow  of  a  change ;  eternal  truth  is  but  from  the  immortal, 
and  truth  can  never  change. 

The  Church  stood  almost  on  the  site  of  the  adobe  which 
replaced  the  shack.  It  was  a  large  and  architecturally  fine 
structure,  built  of  brick,  with  tower  and  spire  and  over  all 
was  the  sign  of  man's  redemption — the  Cross — seen  far  out 
at  sea. 

About  one  hundred  years  after  the  Spaniard,  Junipero 
Serra,  said  his  first  Mass  in  Southern  California,  a  young 
Irish  priest  stood  at  the  altar  of  a  church,  built  a  few  years 
before  his  coming,  in  a  valley  seven  hundred  and  fifty  miles 
to  the  northeast  of  San  Diego.  The  twenty  men  and  women 
who  were  present  on  this  Sunday  in  the  little  church,  saw 
and  heard  what  the  Deguens  witnessed  and  listened  to  a  cen- 
tury before  in  San  Diego.  So  that  if  it  were  permitted  to  the 
Indians  of  San  Diego,  dead  for  a  hundred  years,  to  arise, 


326  THE    CATHOLIC    CHURCH    IN    UTAH 

appear  and  assist  at  Mass  on  this  particular  Sunday  and  in 
the  church  built  in  the  valley,  everything  but  the  handful 
of  people  and  the  priest  would  be  familiar  to  them.  They 
would  see  the  same  crucifix,  the  same  cross  over  the  entrance, 
the  same  altar,  even  the  same  Mass-book.  They  would  hear 
the  same  words  from  the  lips  of  the  sacrificing  priest,  wit- 
ness the  same  movements,  see  the  same  gestures,  the  same 
vestments,  the  same  Host  elevated,  and  assist  at  identically 
the  same  Sacrifice.  There  was  only  this  difference.  The 
priest  of  a  century  before  was  of  delicate  build,  low  of  sta- 
ture, of  olive  tint,  and  a  Spaniard;  the  officiating  priest 
standing  at  this  altar  of  the  valley,  was  of  herculean  build, 
of  rugged  health,  tall,  of  fair  complexion,  and  was  an  Irish- 
man. 

This  Irish  priest  who  halted  the  advancing  pioneers,  as 
did  John  the  Baptist  2,000  years  before  the  caravans  cross- 
ing the  Jordan,  and  spoke  to  them  of  God  and  the  life  be- 
yond the  grave ;  who  thirty-six  years  ago  offered  up  the  Holy 
Sacrifice  in  the  Catholic  church  of  Salt  Lake  Valley,  was 
Father  Scanlan,  now  Bishop  over  all  Utah  and  nearly  one- 
half  of  Nevada. 

Born  in  Ireland  sixty-five  years  ago,  young  Lawrence 
Scanlan  grew  to  boyhood  surrounded  by  the  historic  hills 
and  valleys,  and  filled  with  the  romantic  traditions  of  his 
native  county,  "rebel  Tipperary. " 

It  was,  and  we  believe  is  yet,  a  tribal  and  pious  tradi- 
tion among  the  Irish  Celts  that  the  honor  of  every  ancient 
family  demanded  a  representative  in  the  priesthood.  As  the 
sons  grew  up,  one  of  them,  generally  the  most  promising, 
was  devoted  to  the  priesthood.  Believing,  with  the  Hebrew, 
that  "the  best  of  the  flock  and  of  the  vineyard  shall  be  given 
to  the  Lord,"  and  that  "every  offering  shall  be  of  the  best," 
the  Irish  father  selected  from  his  domestic  flock  the  best, 
and  physically  the  finest  of  his  sons,  and  offered  him  to  God. 
This  explains  why  the  men  of  the  Irish  priesthood — and  it 
has  often  been  commented  upon — are,  to  the  observant  eye, 
the  finest  body  of  men  found  anywhere  in  Europe.   The  Irish, 


THE   CATHOLIC   CHURCH   IN    UTAH  327 

like  the  Jews,  are  proud  of  the  priesthood  of  their  nation. 
"Kings  were  my  ancestors,"  replied  Agrippa,  the  Jew,  to 
the  Roman  Emperor,  "and  among  them  were  high  priests 
whose  priesthood  my  family  considered  equal  to  royalty  it- 
self." 

Having  finished  his  classical  studies,  Lawrence  Scanlan 
entered  the  famous  missionary  seminary,  All  Hallows  (All 
Saints)  College,  Dublin.  Writing  of  All  Hallows  in  the 
Catholic  Encyclopedia,  Mr.  Thomas  O'Donnell  tells  us:  "It 
has  been  the  aim  of  the  directors  of  All  Hallows,  from  the 
beginning  to  form  missionaries  of  practical  type.  In  an 
academic  course  of  seven  years,  three  are  devoted  to  physics, 
mental  philosophy,  language  and  English  literature;  the  re- 
maining four  years  to  Sacred  Scripture,  history,  liturgy, 
canon  law,  sacred  eloquence  and  the  science  of  theology.  The 
students  are  encouraged  to  foster  and  strengthen  the  spon- 
taneous spirit  of  piety  which  is  the  heritage  of  most  Irish 
children.  They  are  also  encouraged  to  develop  health  and 
manliness  by  outdoor  exercises,  such  as  football,  hurling, 
hockey,  handball,  tennis,  cricket,  athletic  competitions  and 
long  walks."  Even  to  this  day  there  lingers  in  All  Hallows 
a  tradition  that  Lawrence  Scanlan  was  among  the  greatest 
athletes  that  ever  graduated  from  the  college. 

Having  completed  his  theological  studies  and  success- 
fully passed  his  examinations,  he  was  advanced  to  Orders, 
and  on  June  24,  1868,  was  ordained  a  priest.  Selecting 
the  far  distant  California  for  his  field  of  labors,  the  young 
priest  returned  to  his  home  in  Tipperary  to  spend  a  few 
days  with  his  parents  and  visit  his  relatives  and  friends  be- 
fore bidding  them  "good  bye,"  perhaps  forever.  On  July 
19,  Father  Scanlan  left  his  parents,  home  and  friends  with 
a  feeling  that  he  might  never  again  look  upon  them. 

Only  one  who  knows  the  warmth  of  the  Irish  heart  and 
the  strong  bonds  of  domestic  affection  which  bind  together 
the  members  of  an  Irish  family  can  understand  the  intense 
grief  which  fills  the  home  when  a  beloved  son  and  brother 
leaves  them,  it  may  be  forever.     But  Father  Scanlan  be- 


328  THE   CATHOLIC    CHURCH   IN    UTAH 

longed  now  in  an  especial  manner  to  God  and  it  was  the  con- 
viction that  he  was  doing  the  will  of  God  which  tempered  the 
sorrow  and  strengthened  the  hearts  of  the  father  and  mother 
who  now,  for  the  last  time  on  earth,  embraced  their  parting 
son.  As  he  passed  out,  contending  with  emotions  which 
spoke  with  tears,  his  mother  followed  him,  flung  herself  upon 
his  breast  in  an  agony  of  love  and  grief  and  fainted  in  the 
arms  of  her  consecrated  son.  Tenderly  unwinding  the  ma- 
ternal arms,  he  resigned  her  to  his  brother,  and,  broken  in 
spirit,  passed  on. 

"     *     *     *     He   went   forth 
Strengthened  to  suffer,  gifted  to  subdue 
The  might  of  human  passion,  to  pass  on 
Quietly  to  the  sacrifice  of  all 
The  lofty  hopes  of  manhood,  and  to  turn 
The  high  ambition  written  on  his  brow 
To  serve  his  God  and  help  his  fellow-man." 

Arriving  in  New  York,  Father  Scanlan  crossed  the  Isth- 
mus of  Panama  and  safely  reaching  San  Francisco,  was  ap- 
pointed, November  29,  1868,  assistant  priest  at  St.  Pat- 
rick's. From  here  he  was  transferred  to  the  cathedral, 
notwithstanding  the  protests  of  the  pastor  of  St.  Patrick's, 
who  had  learned  to  appreciate  the  good  will  and  disinterest- 
edness of  his  new  curate.  While  at  the  cathedral  he  so 
endeared  himself  to  the  parishioners  that  after  thirty-six 
years  of  absence  from  California,  the  San  Francisco  Monitor 
could  say  of  him:  "Father  Scanlan,  now  Bishop  of  Salt 
Lake,  was  a  most  devout  and  faithful  priest,  who  is  still  re- 
membered with  affection  by  the  veterans  of  the  cathedral 
parish. ' ' 

In  1869  a  cry  came  to  Bishop  O'Connell  of  Grass  Valley 
from  Pioche,  Nevada,  asking  for  a  resident  priest.  Pioche 
was  a  mining  camp  among  the  hills  of  southeastern  Nevada, 
whose  waters  are  tributary  to  the  Virgin  River.  The  camp 
was  pitched  four  hundred  miles  from  the  nearest  railroad. 
Bishop  O'Connell  was  unable  to  answer  the  call  of  Pioche 
and  appealed  to  Archbishop  Alemany  for  assistance.  The 
Archbishop  spoke  to  Father  Scanlan  about  the  spiritually 


THE   CATHOLIC   CHURCH   IN    UTAH  329 

destitute  condition  of  Pioche,  and  at  onee  the  young  priest 
volunteered  for  the  mission. 

He  now  enters,  in  earnest,  on  his  remarkable  mission- 
ary career.  Staging  it  from  Palisade,  Nevada,  through  the 
mountains,  the  cold  of  February  wore  him  down,  and  when 
he  reached  Hamilton  he  had  mountain  fever  and  was  threat- 
ened with  pneumonia.  Nothing  but  his  youth  and  splendid 
constitution  carried  him  through  a  severe  siege  of  illness. 
Recovering  after  a  month's  convalescence  in  Hamilton,  he 
pushed  on,  and  on  March  16  entered  Pioche.  We  have  said 
that  Pioche  was  a  mining  camp;  it  was  more,  for  in  those 
days  there  gathered  here  some  of  the  wildest  and  toughest 
characters  of  the  Southwest.  Every  man  was  a  law  unto 
himself  and  gambling  hells,  brothels,  elegant  saloons  and  low 
groggeries  swung  wide  open  day  and  night.  Here  also  were 
men  of  brawn  and  muscle,  big-hearted  men,  and  men  of 
honor  and  generous  impulses  whose  courage  and  manhood 
awed  the  tougher  element.  These  men  of  all  creeds  and  no 
creed  welcomed  the  young  priest,  and  with  their  co-operation 
he  soon  built  a  frame  church  with  two  rooms  tacked  unto 
the  rear  for  his  living  and  sleeping  apartments. 

He  took  his  meals  in  a  Chinese  "Chop  Suey."  The 
third  Sunday  after  he  opened  his  little  church  with  a  big 
cross  on  it,  a  deputation  of  miners  waited  upon  him  and 
firmly  but  respectfully  intimated  to  him  that  his  sermons 
were  not  suited  to  his  environment.  He  had  been  preaching 
on  Death,  Judgment,  Heaven  and  Hell.  They  told  him  to 
keep  on  telling  them  about  heaven,  but  to  leave  out  the  other 
three  as  unsuited  to  the  time  and  place.  Father  Scanlan 
answered  that  he  was  not  preaching  his  own  opinions,  but 
the  doctrines  of  Jesus  Christ,  the  Son  of  God,  "and,"  he 
continued,  "while  I  am  here  I'll  preach  Jesus  Christ  and 
Him  Crucified."  They  boycotted  him.  The  Chinese  eating 
tent  demanded  cash  for  every  meal.  He  was  driven  to  beg  a 
meal  here  and  there,  and  his  clothes  began  to  lose  color  and 
assimilate  to  the  weeds  of  the  tramp.  One  afternoon,  when 
walking  in  the  shade  of  his  church,  Dan  0  'Leary  approached 


330  THE   CATHOLIC    CHURCH   IN    UTAH 

him.  "Father,"  said  Dan,  shaking  the  priest  by  the  hand, 
"you've  won  out,  the  boys  admire  your  pluck;  here's  fifty 
dollars,  go  down  to  Kimballs  and  buy  a  suit  of  clothes.  We'll 
all  be  with  you  next  Sunday. ' '  After  the  reconciliation  Father 
Scanlan  called  a  meeting  of  the  miners  and  asked  for  sub- 
scriptions to  build  a  hospital  where  the  sick  and  injured 
of  the  camp  might  be  cared  for.  He  went  around  the  follow- 
ing day  soliciting  aid  and  in  two  months  the  hospital  was 
open  and  ready  to  receive  patients. 

When,  early  in  1873,  Father  Scanlan  was  summoned 
home  by  his  Archbishop  to  take  charge  of  the  important 
parish  of  Petaluma,  California,  the  citizens  and  miners  of 
Pioche  sent  a  petition  to  his  Grace  requesting  him  to  leave 
Father  Scanlan  with  them.  He  remained  but  a  few  months 
in  Petaluma,  when  he  volunteered  for  the  Utah  mission  and 
left  for  Salt  Lake. 

When,  on  August  14,  1873,  Father  Scanlan  entered 
Salt  Lake,  he  became  missionary  rector  over  the  largest 
parish  in  the  United  States.  If  it  were  possible  for  him  to 
collect  in  one  place  the  members  of  his  scattering  flock,  he 
possibly  could  have  counted  eight  hundred  Catholics  in  a 
3tate  population  of  87,000.  In  Salt  Lake  City  and  Ogden 
there  were,  perhaps,  90  Catholics,  the  other  710  were  dis- 
persed on  railroad  divisions,  in  mining  camps  and  among  the 
villages  of  the  state.  The  little  brick  church  to  which  he 
fell  heir  in  Salt  Lake  City  carried  a  visible  cross  of  wood 
and  an  invisible  debt  of  $6,000.  It  was  the  only  Catholic 
church  in  a  region  of  85,000  square  miles  of  territory.  In 
two  years  he  lifted  the  $6,000  mortgage  from  the  church,  but 
in  doing  so  he  taxed  his  patience  and  his  humility  to  the 
limit.  He  still  dwells  with  grateful  complacency  on  the  cour- 
tesy and  liberality  of  his  Protestant  friends  who  came  to 
his  help  during  these  trying  years. 

In  1876  the  fame  of  Silver  Eeef,  because  of  its  rich  ore 
deposits,  was  becoming  widespread.  Before  the  discovery  of 
silver  ore  it  was  an  unattractive  desert  in  the  southern  part 
of  the  state,  and  about  seventeen  miles  from  St.  George, 
where  the  first  Mormon  temple  was  erected  and  completed. 


THE    CATHOLIC    CHURCH   I1ST   UTAH  331 

After  the  discovery  of  the  mines  men  nocked  there  from 
all  parts  of  the  states  of  Utah  and  Nevada.  It  was  called 
Silver  Reef  from  the  geological  formation  of  the  hills.  Com- 
ing within  the  jurisdiction  of  Father  Scanlan 's  large  parish, 
he  visited  the  place  in  1877,  making  the  round  trip  of  1,000 
miles  from  Salt  Lake  and  back  on  horseback.  In  the  trip  were 
included  Frisco,  Fort  Cameron  and  many  other  smaller  min- 
ing camps.  He  was  absent  five  months,  returning  to  Salt 
Lake  in  October.  Being  pleased  with  the  future  prospects  of 
the  place,  he  sent  Father  Kiley,  who  is  1874  came  from  San 
Francisco  to  help  him,  on  a  visit  to  the  Reef  in  1878.  Father 
Kiely  returned  in  August  of  the  same  year  and  reported  that 
among  the  miners  and  other  residents  of  the  place  were  many 
Catholics  who  were  prepared  to  build  a  church,  and  invited 
Father  Scanlan  to  revisit  them.  Immediately  Father  Scan- 
Ian  made  preparations  for  his  second  visit,  leaving  Salt  Lake 
late  in  November  of  that  year.  After  reaching  his  destina- 
tion a  large  lot  was  soon  secured,  and  on  January  1st  a  sub- 
scription list  for  a  new  church  was  opened.  To  the  appeal 
all  generously  responded,  and  the  work  of  construction  was 
soon  begun.  In  less  than  four  months  a  neat,  commodious 
frame  church  was  completed.  First  services — a  Missa  Can- 
tata— were  celebrated  on  Easter  Sunday,  1879;  the  church, 
blessed  on  the  same  day,  was  dedicated  to  St.  John. 

The  next  year  Father  Scanlan  solicited  subscriptions 
from  the  miners  and  built  St.  John's  Hospital  where  the  sick 
and  wounded  men  of  the  camp  were  attended  to  by  a  surgeon 
and  three  Sisters  of  the  Holy  Cross. 

In  1879,  while  Father  Scanlan  was  engaged  in  erecting 
the  church  and  hospital  at  Silver  Reef,  an  invitation  was  ex- 
tended to  him  by  the  Mormon  authorities  of  St.  George  to 
hold  services  in  their  tabernacle.  He  accepted,  and  as  the 
services  were  to  be  on  Sunday,  the  regular  Sunday  services — 
Missa  cantata  and  sermon — formed  the  program  of  the  day. 
A  choir  was  needed,  and  as  the  tabernacle  choir  of  the  place 
did  not  know  Latin,  it  was  thought  that  the  singing  of  the 
Kyrie  Eleison,  Gloria  and  Credo  could  not  be  carried  out. 


332  THE   CATHOLIC    CHURCH   IN    UTAH 

The  leader  of  the  choir  asked  for  Catholic  music,  and  being 
given  ''Peter's  Mass,"  in  two  weeks  his  choir  knew  the  Mass 
and  could  sing  it  in  Latin.  On  the  third  Sunday  of  May  High 
Mass  was  sung  in  the  tabernacle.  Before  the  services  Father 
Scanlan  explained  the  meaning  of  the  vestments  used  at 
Mass,  and  at  the  Gospel  preached  a  logical  and  eloquent  ser- 
mon, taking  for  his  text,  "True  adorers  of  God  shall  adore 
Him  in  spirit  and  truth."  Careful  to  give  no  offense  and  to 
respect  the  belief  of  his  hearers,  nearly  all  of  whom  were 
Mormons,  he  won  for  himself  the  esteem  and  good  will  of  all. 

The  invitation  to  Father  Scanlan  by  the  officials  of  the 
Church  of  the  Latter  Day  Saints  at  St.  George  was  not  by 
any  means  an  isolated  expression  of  courtesy  from  the  Mor- 
mon elders  to  a  Catholic  priest.  Mr.  Young  and  his  successor 
in  the  presidency,  indeed  all  of  the  Mormon  officials,  were 
ever  friendly  to  the  Catholic  priest,  and  Bishop  Scanlan  has 
many  times  in  conversation  gratefully  referred  to  this  re- 
peated manifestation  of  generous  feeling  towards  himself  and 
his  predecessors.  To  what  are  we  to  attribute  this  excep- 
tional treatment  of  Catholic  priests  in  those  early  times?  As 
a  unit  of  society  the  average  Mormon  has  no  more  love  for  a 
Catholic  or  his  religion  than  has  the  Baptist  or  the  Sweden- 
borgian.  A  rather  prolonged  experience  has  taught  the 
Catholic  that  in  a  community  where  the  majority  of  the  mem- 
bers are  distinguished  for  courtesy  and  graciousness  of  man- 
ner, intolerance  and  bigotry  to  himself  and  the  creed  he  pro- 
fesses are  silent,  if  not  unknown,  and  that  where  vulgarity, 
low  breeding  and  absence  of  refined  manners  are  the  com- 
panions of  a  people,  he  and  his  religion  are  insulted  and 
vilified,  if  not  accursed. 

Waiving  the  question  of  the  social  status  of  the  Mormon 
community  in  searching  for  a  reason  of  the  invariable  kind- 
ness with  which  Catholics  and  their  priests  have  been  always 
treated,  and  which  Catholics  have  not  failed  to  appreciate, 
we  are  disposed  to  attribute  it  to  a  comparatively  unknown 
and  an  entirely  unsuspected  source. 

When  Mr.  Brigham  Young  and  the  Mormons,  driven  by 


THE   CATHOLIC    CHURCH   IN    UTAH  333 

a  remorseless  persecution  from  Illinois,  went  into  winter 
quarters  near  Council  Bluffs  on  the  Missouri,  late  in  1846, 
the  outlook  for  the  Mormon  chief  and  his  people  for  the  fu- 
ture was  gloomy  and  forbidding. 

On  November  19th,  an  extraordinary  man,  a  priest,  mis- 
sionary and  explorer,  landed  at  Coimcil  Bluffs,  returning 
from  Fort  Assiniboine  on  the  Athabasca,  in  the  northern  re- 
gions of  Canada,  where  he  had  been  evangelizing  the  tribes. 
This  man  was  Father  De  Smet,  the  Rocky  Mountain  mission- 
ary. Brigham  Young,  who  perhaps  had  never  spoken  to  a 
Catholic  priest  and  knew  nothing  of  his  religion,  had  heard 
of  him.  Now  listen  to  Father  De  Smet:  "Not  far  from  the 
trading  post  in  a  vast  and  beautiful  plain,  is  a  temporary 
establishment  of  the  Mormons,  driven  out  from  their  city 
Nauvoo  on  the  Mississippi. 

"I  was  introduced  to  their  president,  Mr.  Young,  an 
affable  and  very  polite  gentleman.  He  pressed  me  very 
earnestly  to  remain  a  few  days  (as  his  guest),  an  invitation 
which  my  limited  time  did  not  permit  me  to  accept.  The 
unheard-of  persecutions  and  atrocious  sufferings  endured  by 
these  unhappy  people  will  furnish  a  sad  page  to  the  great 
Valley  of  the  West."  ("De  Smet's  Life  and  Travels,"  Chit- 
tenden, Vol.  II.,  p.  611).  In  his  interviews  with  Mr.  Young, 
Father  De  Smet  unfolded  before  the  astonished  eyes  of  the 
prophet  the  Wasatch  Range  and  the  Valley  of  Great  Salt 
Lake  which  he  crossed  in  1841.  ("In  1841  I  traversed  much 
of  the  valley,"  De  Smet,  Vol.  IV.,  p.  1412.)  Writing  in  1851 
to  his  nephew  in  Belgium,  Father  De  Smet  adds:  "They 
(the  Mormons)  asked  me  a  thousand  questions  about  the 
regions,  and  the  basin  of  the  Great  Salt  Lake  pleased  them 
greatly  from  the  account  I  gave  them  of  it.  Was  that  what 
determined  them  (to  settle  there)  ?  I  would  not  dare  to 
assert  it.    They  are  there."    Bancroft  Library 

Whatever  influence  Father  De  Smet's  description  of  the 
Salt  Lake  region  may  have  had  on  the  mind  of  President 
Young,  we  feel  satisfied  that  the  address  and  bearing  of  the 
educated  and  refined  priest  must  have  impressed  the  Mor- 
mon chief   most   favorably   and  inclined   him   to   a   friendlv 


334  THE   CATHOLIC    CHURCH   IN    UTAH 

consideration  for  the  priests  lie  afterwards  met  in  the  city 
he  founded  between  the  mountains. 

When  Father  Scanlan  returned  from  Silver  Reef  to  Salt 
Lake,  a  deputation  from  the  citizens  waited  upon  him  and 
presented  him  with  a  gold  watch  and  chain  and  an  address 
congratulating  him  on  the  success  of  his  ministration  and  ex- 
pressing their  admiration  for  him  as  a  priest  and  citizen. 

At  about  the  same  time  his  Archbishop  conferred  upon 
him  the  title  of  Vicar-forane  or  Rural  Dean.  The  indefatig- 
able priest  now  entered  upon  a  visitation  of  his  vast  par- 
ish. On  horseback  or  on  foot,  he  visited  Provo,  Ophir, 
Stockton,  Alta,  Castle  Gate,  Park  City,  and  Bingham,  and 
wherever  there  was  a  prospect  of  establishing  a  parish  he 
erected  a  church.  There  is  no  part  of  an  honorable  and 
sensitive  priest's  duty  so  painful  and  humiliating  as  that  of 
going  from  house  to  house  and  man  to  man  soliciting  money 
either  for  his  own  support  or  the  building  of  a  church.  It  is 
trying  to  his  patience,  his  manhood  and  his  self-respect. 
When  he  sets  out  in  the  morning  to  canvass  the  community 
for  assistance  he  may  expect  to  encounter  an  occasional  re- 
fusal; but,  if  lie  be  young  and  inexperienced,  he  is  not  pre- 
pared for  the  insult  or  sneering  expression  accompanying 
that  refusal.  In  the  early  days  of  his  ministry  in  Utah 
Father  Scanlan  began  the  erection  of  a  frame  church  in  a 
distant  mission.  One  sharp,  frosty  morning  in  February, 
he  encountered  a  fairly  well-to-do  man  whose  acquaintance 
he  had  made  a  few  weeks  before.  Asking  him  courteously 
for  a  subscription  for  the  church,  the  man  turned  upon  him 
with  a  sneer  and  told  him,  in  more  vigorous  Anglo-Saxon 
than  we  write  it,  to  "go  to  Gehenna  or  Hades."  Father 
Scanlan  was  then  in  the  prime  of  his  young  manhood,  weigh- 
ing 198,  standing  6  feet  1  and  possessed  of  great  strength. 
For  a  moment  the  fighting  blood  of  his  race  possessed  him, 
his  color  heightened,  the  man  of  the  Irish  race  almost  con- 
quered the  priest  of  the  Roman  rite;  then,  remembering  his 
sacred  calling,  the  young  priest  bowed  his  head  and  went 
his  way.    The  next  morning  the  same  man  waited  upon  him, 


THE   CATHOLIC    CHURCH   IN    UTAH  335 

apologized  for  his  rudeness  and  gave  him  a  hundred  dollars 
for  the  church. 

At  Pioche,  when  the  boycott  was  on,  he  was  passing  on 
the  opposite  side  of  the  street  to  that  on  which  was  a  saloon 
before  whose  windows  were  loitering  a  number  of  hangers-on. 
One  of  the  number  called  out  to  him  and  said  :  ' '  Say,  Father 
Scanlan,  we  have  an  argument  here  of  some  importance  and 
want  your  opinion.  It  is  about  the  age  of  the  devil.  Can  you 
tell  us  how  old  he  is?"  "Gentleman,"  spoke  the  priest  from 
the  other  side  of  the  street,  "take  my  advice  and  keep  the 
records  of  your  own  family  and  specially  that  of  your  own 
father. ' ' 

At  Belmont  Father  Scanlan  was  stopped  on  the  street 
one  afternoon  by  a  seedy  looking  chap  with  a  red  and  bulbous 
nose.  The  tramp  asked  for  a  dime,  and  the  priest  gave  him 
twenty-five  cents,  saying  at  the  same  time:  "Now,  promise 
me  you  won't  get  drunk  on  this."  The  tramp  thanked  him 
and  replied:  "Drunk  on  twenty-five  cents!  I  promise  you  I 
won't.  Why,  Reverend  Sir,  it  would  take  ninety-nine  cents 
of  a  dollar  to  make  me  drunk." 

When,  in  1886,  Father  Scanlan  was  nominated  to  the 
Episcopate  by  the  Holy  See,  and  was  appointed  Vicar- Apos- 
tolic over  all  Utah  and  a  large  portion  of  Nevada,  he  went 
to  San  Francisco  for  his  consecration,  and  on  June  29, 
1887,  was  consecrated  Bishop  of  Larandun  by  His  Grace, 
Archbishop  Riordan,  assisted  by  Bishops  O'Connell  and 
Manogue.  The  ceremony  of  consecration  considered  by  itself 
alone  was  magnificent  and  elaborate  as  the  ceremonials  of 
the  Catholic  Church  are  wont  to  be;  but  to  many  of  those 
present  there  was  added  a  deep  and  significant  interest.  This 
arose  from  the  fact  that  he  who  was  being  consecrated  to  one 
of  the  highest  offices  in  the  gift  of  the  Church  and  who  was 
about  to  return  to  the  rugged  region  in  discharge  of  the  du- 
ties which  that  office  imposed,  was,  eighteen  years,  before 
their  own  spiritual  adviser,  and  some  of  whom  he  had  mar- 
ried and  baptized.  He  had  been  in  and  out  among  them,  in- 
structing them  in  all  that  was    commendable,    encouraging 


336  THE   CATHOLIC    CHUKCH   IN    UTAH 

them  to  pure  and  holy  living,  sympathizing  with  them  in 
their  sorrows  and  afflictions,  sharing  their  joys  when  they 
rejoiced,  ministering  faithfully  to  all  their  spiritual  needs, 
reproving  when  reproof  was  necessary,  but  always  inspired 
with  motives  unmistakably  for  their  best  interests,  both  spir- 
itual and  material. 

And  now,  when  the  Church  "put  a  fair  mitre  upon  his 
head  and  clothed  him  with  the  garments  of  the  High  Priest," 
thsy  rejoiced  with  exceeding  great  joy  and  knew  he  was  not 
forgotten  of  God. 

Bishop  Scanlan  returned  to  Salt  Lake  and  took  up  his 
duties  at  once.  The  ring  and  purple  made  no  change  in  him. 
He  remained  and  remains  the  same  kindly,  unassuming  char- 
acter he  was  before  the  mitre  and  the  garments  of  the  High 
Priest  were  put  upon  him. 

We  have  seen  that  he  originated  and  founded  every 
parish,  every  Catholic  educational  and  charitable  institution 
in  Utah.  He  now  began  a  pastoral  visitation  of  his  vast 
Vicariate,  entering  mining  camps,  visiting  inland  towns  and 
crossing  regions  of  desolation  untouched  by  any  mark  of 
civilization. 

Leaving  Delamar  one  afternoon  to  visit  a  Catholic  fam- 
ily four  or  five  miles  west  of  the  Nevada  mining  camp,  he 
met  on  the  road  and  entered  into  conversation  with  a  man 
who,  from  his  dress  and  bearing,  the  Bishop  thought  to  be  a 
preacher.  "Good  afternoon,"  said  the  Bishop,  shaking  hands 
with  the  stranger.  "May  I  ask  who  you  are?"  "My  name 
is  Collins,"  answered  the  other.  "I  am  a  poor  missionary 
preaching  in  these  parts."  "A  what?"  said  the  Bishop.  "A 
missionary,"  replied  the  preacher,  pulling  out  of  his  pocket  a 
little  black  testament  which  opened  at  the  precise  text  he 
wanted.  "I  am  come  to  preach  salvation  to  these  poor 
miners.  How  shall  they  call  on  Him  in  whom  they  have  not 
believed,  and  how  shall  they  believe  in  Him  of  Whom  they 
have  not  heard,  and  how  shall  they  hear  without  a  preacher!" 
"That  is  all  very  well,"  interposed  the  Bishop,  "but  why 
don't  you  finish  the  text,  'How  shall  they  preach  unless  they 


THE   CATHOLIC    CHURCH   IN    UTAH  337 

be  sent?'  Now  who  sent  youV  "Sent?"  said  the  preacher. 
"Yes,  sent,"  spoke  the  Bishop.  "My  Archbishop  sent  me, 
and  the  Pope,  the  Bishop  of  Eome,  sent  him  and  his  predeces- 
sors, and  I  send  my  priests.  Now,  who  sent  you?".  "The 
Spirit  of  the  Lord,"  said  the  preacher  boldly,  for  he  was  not 
a  man  to  be  easily  put  out  of  countenance.  "I  hope  you  do 
not  deny  that  Christ  is  able  to  send  His  own  messengers 
without  human  intervention'?"  "God  forbid  that  I  should 
doubt  it  for  one  moment,"  replied  the  Bishop;  "I  know  that 
He  can.  I  know  that  He  sent  Moses  and  x^.aron  without  hu- 
man intervention  to  establish  the  Aaronic  priesthood,  and  I 
know  that  He  superseded  this  very  priesthood  of  His  own 
ordination,  by  sending,  also  without  human  intervention,  the 
Apostolic  priesthood,  and  what  He  did  once,  of  course  He 
can  do  again.  God  forbid  I  should  doubt  that;  I  should  be  a 
Jew  if  I  did.  Still  I  do  observe  that  whenever  God  sends 
anyone  directly  from  Himself,  and  without  human  interven- 
tion, He  is  always  graciously  pleased  to  confirm  His  own 
appointment  to  the  minds  of  His  faithful  servants  by  signs 
and  wonders.  Moses  called  down  bread  from  heaven.  He 
and  Aaron  brought  forth  waters  from  the  rock.  And  so 
also  when  God  was  pleased  to  supersede  their  priesthood, 
many  wonders  and  miracles  were  wrought  by  the  hands  of 
the  Apostles.  They  did  not  go  upon  their  own  testimony,  but 
appealed  to  these  signs  from  God  as  witnesses ;  as  in  the  case 
of  their  Master  Himself,  the  works  that  they  did  testified  of 
them. ' ' 

"Now,"  continued  his  Lordship,  "without  at  all  doubt- 
ing the  possibility  that  another  succession  may  be  commis- 
ioned  to  supersede  that  of  the  Apostles,  where  are  your  wit- 
nesses? I  suppose  you  do  not  expect  us  to  take  your  word 
for  it.  What  supernatural  power  do  you  possess  or  appeal  to 
in  proof  of  your  heavenly  mission?"  This  was  a  puzzler; 
it  had  been  a  puzzler  to  Mohammed  many  hundred  years 
before.  The  prophet,  however,  got  out  of  it  cleverly  by  say- 
ing he  had  written  the  Koran,  which,  as  every  one  could  see, 
was  a  miracle  in  itself;  but  the  poor  preacher  could  not  say 
he  had  written  the  Bible,  so  he  fell  a-thinking  and  passed  on. 


338  THE   CATHOLIC    CHURCH   IN   UTAH 

In  1891  the  Vicariate-Apostolic  was  constituted  a  diocese, 
and  the  Bishop  fixed  his  cathedral  throne  permanently  in 
Salt  Lake.  The  erection  of  his  new  cathedral  was  an  achieve- 
ment fit  to  test  the  life-time  of  the  ablest  man;  yet  it  was 
begun  and  done  by  Bishop  Scanlan  in  a  few  years  and  with  a 
success  that  could  be  only  the  fruition  of  an  apostolic  zeal. 
And  the  same  energy  displayed  in  erecting  the  cathedral  was 
in  evidence  before  he  began  the  great  building  by  the  found- 
ing of  many  institutions,  the  creation  of  parishes  and  the 
erection  of  churches  to  meet  the  needs  of  a  growing  popula- 
tion. 

While  studiously  avoiding  anything  which  might  be  in- 
terpreted, even  in  the  faintest  way,  as  mixing  in  politics,  the 
Bishop  has  always  taken  a  fearless  open  stand  on  all  ques- 
tions— religious,  social  and  moral.  When  he  comes  before 
the  public,  he  comes  with  the  respect  of  all.  He  has  been 
the  great  man  of  the  community  for  thirty-five  years.  From 
his  commanding  presence — tall,  dignified,  stately — one  might 
know  at  a  glance  that  he  is  a  ruler  of  men.  Courageous  with 
the  consciousness  of  right,  he  has  never  faltered  in  denounc- 
ing wrong  and  appealing  for  its  remedy,  and  the  public  has 
always  waited  on  his  word.  His  splendid  character,  his  self- 
devotion,  his  many  acts  of  kindness,  and  his  patient  toils  in 
the  early  days  of  his  missionary  life,  rest  in  the  obscurity 
where  the  best  of  human  virtues  are  buried  from  age  to  age. 

"The  life  of  a  missionary  priest,"  writes  Cardinal  Gib- 
bons, "is  never  written,  nor  can  it  be.  He  has  no  Boswell. 
His  biographer  may  recount  the  churches  he  erected,  the 
schools  he  founded,  the  works  of  religion  and  charity  he  in- 
augurated and  fostered,  the  sermons  he  preached,  the  chil- 
dren he  catechized,  the  converts  he  received  into  the  fold; 
and  this  is  already  a  great  deal,  but  it  only  touches  upon  the 
surface  of  that  devoted  life.  There  is  no  memoir  of  his  pri- 
vate daily  life  of  usefulness  and  of  his  sacred  and  confiden- 
tial relations  with  his  flock — all  this  is  hidden  with  Christ  in 
God,  and  is  registered  only  by  His  recording  angel." 

The  Bishop  has,  by  his  sincerity  of  purpose  and  by  an 
admirable   and  honorable   straightforwardness,   been  singu- 


THE   CATHOLIC    CHURCH   IN   UTAH  33!) 

larly  fortunate  in  winning,  during  the  early  years  of  his 
priesthood,  the  good  will  and  respect  of  the  citizens  of  Salt 
Lake,  and  retaining  now  in  the  evening  of  his  life,  their  affec- 
tion and  admiration;  but  he  has  been  especially  blessed  in 
having  for  his  Vicar-General  a  priest  who  is,  and  has  always 
been  to  him,  just  less  than  a  brother  and  more  than  a  friend. 
Father  Kiely  possesses  the  saving  gift  of  common  sense,  a 
directness  of  purpose,  an  unselfish  devotion  to  a  high  con- 
ception of  duty,  and  a  loyalty  to  his  Bishop  which  have  won 
for  him  a  distinguished  place  in  the  priesthood.  What  a 
help  and  inspiration  he  has  been  to  Bishop  Scanlan  is  best 
shown  in  the  love  and  esteem  which  his  venerable  Prelate 
cherishes  for  him.  For  thirty-five  years  he  has  been  the 
friend  and  companion  of  his  Bishop,  as  assistant  priest. 
Rector  of  the  cathedral,  Chancellor  and  Vicar-General  of  the 
diocese.  He  has  been  of  invaluable  assistance  to  his  eccle- 
siastical superior,  has  been  intimately  identified  with  him 
in  the  building  of  the  cathedral,  and  of  the  many  Catholic 
institutions  of  the  city,  and  in  gratitude  for  and  appreciation 
of  his  disinterestedness  and  zeal,  his  Bishop  speaks  of  him 
in  language  of  unstinted  praise  and  holds  him  in  the  very 
highest  esteem. 

The  end. 


INDEX. 

Page. 

Articles    (Essential)    of    Christian    Belief 2 

Alvaredo,   Hernanda  de    47 

Ascr.ncion,  Juan  de  la  53 

Ayeta,  Father   58 

Allouez,   Claude    ■  ■  ■  77 

Arbide,  Martin  de 79 

Arivide,  Estavan  de 79 

Anthony  (St.)   of  Padua   83 

Assisi,  Francis  of 84 

Ansa,  Captain  Juan.  B 96 

Arroyo  del  Tarny „ 202 

Armijo,    Manuel  107 

Archuleta,  Colonel  Juan   107 

Anacaumchis,  Tribe  of 210 

Arroyo  del  Tejedor   189 

Arrival   of   the    Sisters    297 

Alemany,    Archbishop    283,    313 

Academy,    Saint    Mary's    298 

Academy,  Sacred  Heart   300 

Austin,   Nevada    317 

Bible,  The    9 

Bandelier,    Adolph    31 

Burton  32 

Basin,  The   Great    32 

Buenaventura,  San   53 

Beltram,  Fray  Bernardino 53 

Bressani,  Father  70 

Bridger,  Jim    y2 

Bourrienne,   De    74 

Bull,  Sitting 74 

Brebeuf,  Jean  de   78 

Bouteux,  Pierre 78 

Barrauche,   John    79 

Bartlett,   Russel    79 

Bonaventure,   St 83 

Bernardon,  John    84 

Beale,  Mr.  F.  F 108 

Boyle,   Dr.   David    in 

Bancroft   120 

Beaver  River  251 


342  INDEX 

Page. 

Barron,  Judge  283 

Bouchard,  S.  J.,  Rev 283 

Blake,  Rev.   P 289 

Bonaparte,   Napoleon    295 

Bogan,  William  J 316 

Bishop,  Visit  of  the   316 

Butler,  Rev.  James   318 

Christian  Priesthood,  The   13 

Celibacy,  Clerical  25 

Coues,    Eliott    31 

Coronado,  Expedition  of 45 

Civezza,  Marcelino  52 

Cachupin,  Governor  Velez  60,  131 

Cruz,  Juan  de  la 45 

Cartier,  Jaques  66 

Cooper,  Fenimore   67 

Chateaubriand  74 

Concepcion,  Cristobal  de  la 79 

Columbus    89 

Calabria,  Francis  of 89 

Chevance,  Leopold  de 89 

Casas,  Los   89 

Cochrane,  Stuart  C 90 

Croix,  le  Marquis  de  la  97 

Canon  del  Yeso  137 

Canon  Pintado  160 

Comanches-Yamparicas    160 

Calchihuite  203 

Chama,  Town  of  242 

Creek,  Strawberry 245 

Creek,  Thistle  245 

Creek,  Currant   246 

Creek,   Soldier  Fork    246 

Choteau  259 

Connor,  General  Patrick  275 

Colin,  Jean  Claude  Marie  286 

Champagnat,  Father   287 

Chataignier,    Father    290 

Cochea,  Right  Rev.  Martin  309 

Cushnahan,  Rev.  P.  M 312 

Cathedral,  Salt  Lake    312 

Collins  3J,j 

De  Maistre,  Joseph    4 

Dominguez,  Atanasio   34 

Dorantes,   Andres    41 


index  343 

Page. 

Descalona,   Fray  Louis    46 

Docampo,  Andres 47 

Druillette    yj 

Dablou j j 

Dolbeau    78 

Daniel,  Antoine   78 

D,e   Noue,   Pere  A 78 

Diaz,  John 79 

Dominguez  124 

Durango,  Town  of   242 

Dougherty,  James  L 265 

De  Smet,  Father  266 

Diocese   of    Salt   Lake    308 

Donohue,  Rev.   Patrick 316 

Eucharist,  The  Holy    19 

Espejo,  Don  Antonio  de  33 

Escobar,  Father 95 

Escalante,  Silvestre  Velez  de  34,  124 

Estavan,  Juan  41 

Eymard,  Father   287 

Eureka,  Utah  315 

Eureka,  Nevada   ^ 317 

Ely,   Nevada    318 

Froude,  James  Anthony  4 

Franciscan  Fathers,  The  34 

Fiske,  John 63 

Friars  Minors  83 

Francis  (St.),  The  Sons  of  88 

Firmin,    Pedro    97 

Fuentes  de  Santa  Clara  163 

Fur  Company,  The  Hudson  Bay  226 

Fork,    Spanish    246 

Fork,   Soldier    246 

Fur  Company,  The  Rocky  Mountain 257 

Fitzpatrick,  Major  Thomas 262 

Feather,  Red   264 

Fremont    264 

Foley,  The  Rev.  James   282 

Forestier,  Father   290 

Garces,  Francisco   34,  141 

Garneau 66 

Gamier,  Charles yS 

Guitteras,   Andre 79 

Gonzalez,  Manuel 80 


344  INDEX 

Page. 

Gladstone    83 

Ghent,  Peter  of 89 

Gualpi    236 

Green  River   242,  246 

Girourd,  Joseph    257 

Guinan,  The  Rev.  J.  J 291 

Gregori  XVI.,  Pope 286 

Galligan,  Rev.  T 315 

Holy  Eucharist,  The   19 

Honorato,  Fray    41 

Horse,  Crazy 74 

Hales,  Alexander  of  83 

Humboldt,   Von    120 

Hascaris,  Tribe  of 210 

Harney,  General  272 

Henry,  Father  290 

Holy  Cross,  The  Sisterhood  of  294 

Hospital,  Holy  Cross 305 

Hernaez,  S.  J 309 

Infallibility,  Papal   7 

Indulgence,  The  Doctrine  of  16 

Ignacio,  Chief  74 

Innocent    III.,    Pope 85 

Indians,  The   Ute    106 

Juan  de  Jesus,  Father  59 

Jogues,  Father  Isaac 70 

Jayne,  Louis  79 

Julius  II.,  Pope    89 

Jensen,  Town  of 243 

Juab,  Village  of   249 

Judge,  Mrs.  Mary  306 

Judge,  The   "Memorial    Home" 306 

Kino,  Father  60 

Kiely,  Very  Rev.  Father   312,  316 

Kelly,  The  Rev.  E 281,  317 

Kearns,  Senator  and  Mrs.  Thomas    302 

Leviticus   14 

Longfellow  25 

Lummis,  Charles  F 31 

Livingstone    32 

Lopez,  Francjsco    50 

Lugo,  Alonzo  de  55 

Lombardi,  Jesus  de  57 


INDEX  345 

Pack. 

Liana,  Fray  Geronimo  de   la    59 

Lallemant,    Gabriel    78 

Letrado,   Francisco    79 

Leonard  ( St.)  of  Port  Maurice  83 

Lorgues,  Count  Roselly  de  89 

Landa,  Father  Diego  92 

Lain  Spring  142 

Lake  Timpanagotzis   173 

League,  Spanish   179 

Lee's  Ferry    245 

Levan,  Village  of   249 

Leavenworth,   Colonel .265 

Loras,  Right  Rev.  Mathias  287 

Little  Brothers  of  Mary  287 

Leterier,  Father   289 

Larkin,   Rev.  T.   J 290 

Merry  del  Val.  Cardinal   1 

Machabeus,  Judas 21 

Mass,  The  Adorable  Sacrifice  of 23 

Mary,  Devotion  to  24 

Macaulay,  Lord 29 

Marcos,    Father 32 

Mystery,  The  Great  Northern   32 

Moquis,  The  40 

Maldonado,  Alonzo  del  Castillo   41 

Martinez,  Alonzo  53 

Marshall,  W.  T 55 

Mota-Padilla    49 

Megapohlensis,  John    68 

Meynard,  Father  Rene    yy 

Montalembert,  Comte  de    82 

Marisco,  Adam  de    83 

Marchena,  Juan  Perez  de  89 

Marfi,  Juan  98 

McKerchar,  D.  W in 

Miera,  Don  Bernardo  134 

Mossanagabi,    Town    of    237 

Mona,  Village  of  249 

McKay,    Colonel    264 

Moore,  Captain  Michael    265 

Mesplie,   Father    281 

Machebeuf,  The   Right   Rev.   Joseph    282 

Marshall,    Mrs.    T 283 

Marists,  The   286 

Monheim,  Henry   289 

Mader,  Rev.  B 291 


346  INDEX 

Page. 

Moreau,  Rev.  Basil  Antoine    296 

Maguire,  Don    312 

Monteverde,  Father  317 

Mannion,  Rev.  Joseph   317 

Maloney,   Rev.   W 318 

Morero,   Father    321 

Murphy,  Edward   322 

Nathan   14 

Nizza,   Father    33 

Navajos,  The 43 

Nadal,    Pedro    52 

Naca,  Jose  Antonio 120 

Nephi,  Town  of   249 

Nerincks,  Rev.  Charles 266 

Our  Dead  19 

Onata,  Juan  de    52 

Otermin,  Governor    56 

Ortega,  Padre,  Jose 80 

Ockham 83 

Oronzo,  Father  Jose   98 

Oraybi   234 

Ogden,  Chief  Justice 262 

O'Fallon,  Major .265 

Odin,  Right  Rev.  J.  M 288 

Orphanage,  The  Kearn's-St.   Ann's    302 

Ogden    312 

O'Connell,  Right  Rev.  Eugene   .281,  325 

O'Donnell,  Mr.  Thomas   323 

O'Leary,  Dan 326 

Peter  (St.),  The  Supremacy  of  6 

Paul,    Saint    12 

Penance,  The  Sacrament  of   13 

Priesthood,  The  Christian   13 

Priesthood,  The  Levitical   14 

Parkman,   Francis    31 

Pizzarro,    Francisco    40 

Pope,  Arrest  of  56 

Posadas,  Alonzo  60 

Powell,   Major    ! 63 

Padilla,  Juan  de  64 

Porras,   Francis    79 

Pius  IX.,  Pope 82 

Padua,    St.   Anthony  of 83 

Parma,   Blessed   John  of    83 

Peckham  T . . . ........ t ,,,  83 


INDEX  347 

Page. 

Portiuncula,  Church  of  87 

Padilla,  Garcia  of 89 

Pilgrims,  Congregational 90 

Pritchard  90 

Pisado,  Alonzo  de  163 

Puaguampas  of  Salt  Lake 181 

Pa-uches,    Tribe    of    210 

Pagampachis,  Tribe  of  219 

Provot,  Etienne  226 

Provo   River    248 

Payson,  Town  of 249 

Pondtown,  Village  of  249 

Purcell,  James   Patrick   265 

Pierce,  President  271 

Pamaron,    Pedro    309 

Park  City 314 

Phelan,  Rev.  Joseph  318 

> 
Quigley,  Rev.  P.  J 317 

{ 
Real    Presence,   The 17 

Ranke,  Leopold  von 29 

Ruis,  Augustin    50 

Ragueneau   68 

Reimbault 78 

Rasle,  Sebastian   78 

Ruen,  Henry   80 

Rio    Chama    :. 124 

"      de  las  Nutrias 126 

"     de  la  Cibolla 126 

"     San  Juan 130 

"     de  los  Pinos 130 

"     Florida 130 

"      Navajo 130,  225 

"      de  las  Animas   130 

"      Dolores  132,  225,  242 

"      las  Mances .132 

"      Escondida    134 

"     Taposa 134 

"      Paraliticas 136 

"     de  San  Pedro   138 

"      San  Augustine  el  Grande   144 

"     Tizon    145 

"     San  Javier  145 

"     Juan  Maria 145 

"     Santa  Rosa  de  Lima  147 

Santa  Monica 148 


348  INDEX 

Pace. 

"      San  Rafael    157 

"      San  Clemente  161 

"      del  Cibola    163 

"      San  Buenaventura    164 

"      San  Cosme  167,  244 

"      San   Damian    167,   244 

"     San  Catarina  de  Sena   168 

San    Estaquio    169 

"     Aguascalientics  173 

"      San   Nicolas    179 

"      San  Antonio  de  Padua    180 

"      Santa  Ana 180,  247 

"      Santa  Isabel    185,  249 

"     Tiron    185 

de  Senor  de  San  Jose 196 

"     Sulfureo  201 

"      Santa  Teresa   225 

"      San    Miguel    242 

"     Uncompahgre 242 

"      Uintah    244 

"      San  Lino   245 

"     Tiron    253 

Riley,  Major  Bernard    265 

Raverdy,  Father  280 

Rauscher,   George    282 

Raffin,  Very  Rev.  J.  C 291 

Rockefeller,  John   D 304 

Riordan,    Archbishop    313 

Reese,  Captain 317 

Recapitulation   319 

Supremacy  of  St.    Peter,   The 6 

Sins,   Confession  of    13 

Saints,  The  Communion  of  24 

Speke   32 

Stanley   32 

Sampson,  Mr.  George    38 

Santa  Maria,  Fray    50 

Shea,  John  Gilmary  52 

Salazar,   Father  Christopher    52 

San  Miguel,  Church  of 54 

San  Geronimo,  Mission  of  55 

Salmeron,  Padre  Zarate   59 

Sigourney 67 

Saeta,  Francis  Xavier   80 

Siena,  St.  Bernardine  of  83 

Scotus,  Duns 83 


INDEX  349 

Page. 

Solano,   Francis    89 

Suarez,  Juan    .* . . , 89 

Smith,  Archibald    91 

Stephans,  John   92 

Serra,  Junipero  100 

San   Cayetano,   Vega    130 

Santa  Clara  124,  242 

Santa  Rosa  de  Abiquin  124,  242 

Santa  Cruz,  Vega   244 

Sevier  River   249 

Scipio,   Town   of    250 

San  Antenogas  252 

Seefield,    Captain    276 

Sauchan,  Bishop 285,  310 

Sheehan,  Rev.   M 318 

Scanlan,  Sketch  of  the  Life  of  Right  Rev.  Lawrence 319 

Tradition,  The  Church  and  12 

Tobar,  Pedro  de    46 

Trevino,  Governor 56 

Tello,  Tomaso  80 

Tamarah,  Nicolas 80 

Tabechuachis,  Range  of    138 

Timpangotzis,  Tribe  of  146 

Tepustete   165 

Timpangotzis,  Valley  of   173 

Tirangapin,  Tribe  of 187 

Tintic    315 

Ute   Indians,  The    106 

Utah  Lake   246 

Vasquez  de  Coronado,  Francis  33 

Vaca,  Alva  Nunez  Cabeza  de  41 

Vallada,  Juan  de 57 

Valencia,    Martin    of    89 

Virgin    River    253 

Vaughan,  Mrs.  Governor 283 

Wordsworth,  The  Poet  24 

Why  Priests  Do  Not  Marry 25 

Walpole,   Hon.   F 91 

Walsh,  The  Rev.  Patrick   283 

Walsh,   Father    312 

I 

Ximenes    90 

Xongopabi  234 

) 
Yutas-Yamparicas    14(3 


350  INDEX 

Pagk. 

Yutas-Sabaguanas    146 

Yubuincariri,  Tribe  of 209 

Yubuincariris,  Tribe  of   219 

Ytimpabichis,  Tribe  of 226 

Yutas-Barbones  227 

Young,  Brigham 270 

Zamora,  Father 55 

Zumarago,  Juan  de  98 


rkt-J 


